My creamy lemon basil chicken is comfort food with a sunny twist ~ rich, tangy, and totally family-approved.
Hey Friends! You already know and love my Creamy Tuscan Chicken, now get ready to love Lemon Basil Chicken! I’ve reinvented that classic chicken dinner recipe with lots of bright citrus flavor and everybody’s favorite fresh herb.
Why You’ll Love It
- Chicken thighs are cheap and user friendly: you can’t really over cook them!
- This is a one pan recipe.
- The combination of chicken and lemon is a perennial favorite, so this is a great choice for family dinner or company.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I can’t wait for you to try creamy lemon basil chicken ~ be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
creamy lemon basil chicken step by step
- Brown and cook the chicken thighs.
- you can brown and cook in your skillet, or finish them in the oven. Chicken thighs are great because you really can’t overcook them, they stay moist and tender.
- Prep your sauce ingredients while the chicken cooks.
- Remove the chicken to a plate to keep warm.
- De-glaze the pan and make the sauce.
- dry sherry (a fortified wine) is key to the flavor in this creamy chicken.
- Return the chicken to the sauce.
- Garnish, and serve.
ingredient notes
- I use dry Sherry to deglaze the pan, it adds so much rich restaurant quality flavor to the sauce.
- Sherry is a fortified wine, and I’m a huge fan. Fortified wine has been strengthened with added spirits (usually brandy), which concentrates the flavor and gives it a longer shelf life. It packs so much more flavor than regular wine, and you can keep an opened bottle in your cupboard for 6 months to a year. I keep a bottle by my stove and use it allll the time.
- Swaps: use other fortified wine like Marsala or dry Vermouth, or use regular white wine.
- Non-alcohol choice: use extra chicken broth.
- Shallot and garlic make a lovely depth of flavor. I always keep shallots next to my stove, they have a wonderful flavor that lands somewhere between onions and garlic. Again, it gives that restaurant quality to home cooked meals.
- Lemon juice: there’s a good amount in this sauce, which I love. If it gets too tart for you soften it with a tiny bit of sugar.
- Heavy cream is rich but the fat prevents curdling when you add the lemon juice.
troubleshooting tips
If you often have trouble browning skin-on chicken try a nonstick pan, it works like a charm and the result is golden perfectly crisp chicken.
I like to finish my chicken in the oven for two reasons:
- Less messy: it helps cut down on stove top splatters.
- Hands off: I can prep the sauce ingredients while the chicken cooks in the oven.
The fat in cream keeps the lemon juice from curdling the sauce. This dish is super lemony without the fear of the acid breaking the cream.
For a lower fat sauce: if you need to use whole milk or half and half add a flour and butter roux or a cornstarch slurry to help prevent curdling by suspending the dairy proteins. Thicken the sauce before adding the lemon juice and after adding the lemon don’t let the sauce come to a boil.
Don’t coat your chicken in the lemon sauce, simply nestle it back into the pan. You don’t want that crispy skin to get soft.
Slice and add the basil at the last minute, it’s heat sensitive and will lose its vibrant color when exposed to the hot chicken.
I’m passionate about buying the right chicken
I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, and please make an effort to buy humanely raised chicken. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to eat meat, I want to eat healthy animals. Choosing responsible chicken supports better farming practices and healthier animals. Look for these labels and terms:
- Certified Humane or Animal Welfare Approved ~ third-party certifications with strong welfare standards.
- Pasture-Raised ~ chickens have regular access to the outdoors and natural behaviors.
- Organic ~ means no antibiotics and required outdoor access, though standards vary.
- No Antibiotics ~ a good sign, but doesn’t guarantee humane treatment.
- Vague terms like “natural” or “farm-raised” are not regulated for animal welfare.
Creamy Lemon Basil Chicken
Equipment
- large skillet or braising pan
Ingredients
- 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, about 3 pounds
- sea salt
- olive oil
- 1 large shallot, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed through a garlic press
- 1/4 cup dry sherry, or other fortified wine like Marsala, white port, or vermouth. Make sure they are dry, not sweet!
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup basil, finely julienned
Instructions
- Note: preheat your oven to 375F if you plan to finish cooking your chicken thighs in the oven rather than on the stove top. Season your 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs with salt on both sides. Coat the bottom of your large skillet or braising pan with olive oil and heat until hot over medium high heat. You want to see it start to shimmer, but not smoke.
- Brown, skin side down for about 12 minutes, until the skin is nice and crisp. If you have a splatter screen this is a good time to use it 🙂 I generally turn the heat down a bit while the chicken is browning, you don't want it to burn. Flip the chicken and cook for another 12-15 minutes, or until done. The meat should read 160F on an instant read thermometer. Remove the meat to a plate and cover with foil while you make the sauce. Note: alternatively you can move the chicken to your preheated oven after flipping and finish there, see instructions in the notes below*
- Add the 1 large shallot and 2 cloves garlic to the drippings in the pan and sauté, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes. Then add the 1/4 cup dry sherry and let it bubble down while you scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 cup heavy cream, and 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice to the pan, and cook the sauce for a few minutes until it starts to reduce slightly, stirring frequently. NOTE: don't let the sauce boil furiously ~ just keep at a good simmer.
- Stir in the 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and taste to add salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, but don't submerge them in the sauce, you want the golden skin to stay crispy. Heat through for a minute or so, and then shower with the fresh basil just before serving.
Notes
- For no-alcohol version replace sherry with chicken stock, although be aware that some of the alcohol evaporates off, and the flavor payoff is huge. Even a tablespoon or two will make a difference in the flavor of this sauce.
- Use chopped chicken instead of the whole thighs, and serve this over pasta. The pasta absorbs all that creamy sauce and it’s fantastic.
Nutrition
lemon basil chicken menu ideas
For the family:
For company:
I saw this recipe the day you posted and knew I had to make it. I’ve tried multiple recipes of yours and always, always get an excellent result. This recipe along with a long list of other recipes did not disappoint. This satiating dish was full of flavor and enjoyed by all. P.S. I’ve made your Tuscan Chicken multiple times and people actually request it by name. That one is a real winner too! Thank you Sue!!!
Thank YOU Liz! Just featured your nice comment in today’s email.
Hi:
My husband doesn’t like parmesan cheese. Can I leave it out of the recipe? Sounds delicious!
Thanks, Mary
Yes for sure. You can leave it out or sub in another grated cheese. It does tend to thicken the sauce a bit, but there’s plenty of flavor without it.
Sue, this recipe jumps off the page saying try it immediately. A delicious alternative I can’t wait to prepare with a nonfat Lactaid milk.
Haha, just what I was hoping for! It might be a little tricky trying to make this with nonfat milk ~ but I always encourage experimentation. A few thoughts: maybe a lactaid free evaporated milk, or a lactaid free whole milk or half and half. If you’re looking to cut fat and calories then definitely thicken your sauce with a little bit of flour or cornstarch. This will not only help thicken, but it will help keep the lemon juice from curdling your sauce.