One of the most popular recipes on this site is for Breaded Chicken With Lemons and I always wondered why that was. It’s a particular favorite of mine as well. The combination of breadcrumbs, lemon, salt and pepper work together to create something really special.
5 INGREDIENT BREADED LEMON CHICKEN
I hope that you’re enjoying all of these simple recipes while you wind down from the holiday hoopla! I’m starting to think that 5 Ingredient Recipes need to become regulars around here. The only thing better than amazing food is amazing food that is cheap and easy to make, after all.
This recipe is actually my mom’s– a recipe my family has been devouring for about 2 decades, and one that my cousins, aunts, and friends have begged for. With just 5 simple ingredients, this Breaded Lemon Chicken comes together to be crisp, tender, and bright. Thank you, Mom, for finally relenting and letting me share this with the world.
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To make 5 Ingredient Breaded Lemon Chicken, you basically do what you would do for any breaded chicken cutlet– pound it thin, bread it, and fry it, except instead of using egg to get the breadcrumb to stick, you use lemon juice. Believe it or not, the lemon juice does a great job of keeping the breadcrumb intact, and the acid helps your chicken stay soft and juicy inside when you pan fry it. Not to mention, the citrus brings a whole new dimension of flavor to the chicken!
Give this recipe a go and it just might become your go-to work week dinner!
5 Ingredient Breaded Lemon Chicken
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
INGREDIENTS
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- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (fresh is best, but bottled is fine, too)
- 1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, to pan fry
- Lemon pepper, to taste
- Parsley and/or lemon, to garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally, so that you get 4 thin chicken breast pieces. Put down about a foot of plastic wrap on the counter top and lay the chicken pieces on it. Cover with an additional piece of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to evenly pound out the chicken breasts until about 1/4″ thick.
- Heat 1/4″ of vegetable oil in a large, high-walled pan over medium.
- In a shallow bowl, pour or squeeze in the lemon juice. In a separate shallow bowl, add in the breadcrumbs. Dip each chicken breast slice, one at a time, into the lemon juice and let sit for 2 minutes. Turn over and let sit for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to the breadcrumbs and press gently to help the breadcrumbs adhere to each side. Set aside. Continue until all of the chicken is breaded.
- Add 2 of the breaded chicken breasts to the oil and sprinkle liberally with lemon pepper. You want to make sure there is ample room between the chicken breasts, because overcrowding the pan results in soggy chicken. Fry until dark golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, carefully turn the chicken. Sprinkle with additional lemon pepper, and continue to pan fry for 4 more minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined sheet and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and slices of lemon, and serve immediately.
EASY LEMON CHICKEN
yield:4 SERVINGS
prep time:10 MINUTES
cook time:10 MINUTES
total time:20 MINUTES
You’ll never guess how quickly this crisp, tender chicken comes together with just a handful of ingredients!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- Zest of 2 lemons, plus more, for garnish
- 1 pound BARE® Chicken’s fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets, cut crosswise in half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and lemon zest; set aside.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in bread crumbs mixture, pressing to coat.
- Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet, 2 or 3 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve immediately, garnished with lemon zest, if desired.
Baked Breaded Lemon Chicken
This lip-smackin’ good Baked Breaded Lemon Chicken has a bright, lemony flavor and a crispy breadcrumb coating, giving you a super-easy weeknight meal that will have your family clamoring for more!
Best of all, you only need 5 ingredients and 35 minutes to make this main dish! Don’t have prepared breadcrumbs on hand? There’s a bonus recipe in this post to make your own with leftover bread!
👩🏻🍳 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
When I want something super easy to prepare but with lots of flavor, I reach for this oven fried lemon chicken recipe. It’s ideal for a quick weeknight meal and sure to please the whole family!
With just 6 ingredients and only 35 minutes, you can prepare this tender and juicy panko crusted chicken. Best of all, it’s baked instead of fried, which makes for a much healthier option that you’ll feel great about serving.
Recipes like this breaded lemon chicken and my Chicken Potato Bake are great for hearty but simple weeknight meals that are sure to be crowd pleasers!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- butter – helps form a flavorful coating for the breadcrumbs to stick to.
- lemon juice – gives your panko breaded chicken a boost of citrus flavor.
- garlic salt & pepper – simple but classic seasonings that enhance the lemon butter coating.
- seasoned bread crumbs – you can use Panko or regular; I like to use Panko because the results turn out extra crispy.
- chicken – I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, but use whatever cut you like best!
🔪 Instructions
- Melt the butter and combine with the lemon juice, garlic salt, and pepper.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a separate dish.
- Dip the chicken first in the lemon butter mixture.
- Then dip in the breadcrumbs and ensure the chicken is well coated.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
👪 FAQs
Can you bread chicken with lemon juice?
Yes, this is a great way to get any kind of breaded coating to stick to your chicken while also adding extra flavor. This is a great substitute for using egg.
What is Panko?
Panko is a kind of Japanese breadcrumb that is crunchy and tend to absorb less oil than classic breadcrumbs, which yields baked or fried foods that have an extra crunchy coating.
How do I bake breaded chicken without it getting soggy?
One way to avoid sogginess is to cook on a wire rack, which will allow for drainage of any excess moisture as the chicken cooks. Using Panko breadcrumbs specifically also leads to less sogginess, as they don’t absorb liquids like typical breadcrumbs might.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- This is a great option for a savory recipe using leftover bread–you can make your own breadcrumbs! Cut up some bread, and if it isn’t stale dry it out in the oven for about 10 minutes. Then toss in the food processor with some seasonings (I like to use garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper) and you’ve got homemade breadcrumbs.
- Fresh lemon juice is ideal for this breaded lemon chicken, but bottled lemon juice works great if you already have it in your fridge.
- If you’d like some extra crispiness from your breading, finish cooking under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Just be sure to keep an eye on your chicken as this can lead to burning.
You’ll love this baked breaded chicken recipe for its simplicity and versatility. A great staple recipe, panko chicken is perfect to customize to your own tastes!
📖 Substitutions and Variations
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be substituted for thighs. cut them in half before coating and baking for a more even cook.
- If you prefer, you can pan fry your chicken in some vegetable oil. I just prefer to oven “fry” to eliminate extra oils!
- You can mix in any number of seasonings to the lemon butter sauce to customize your breaded lemon chicken. Cayenne, chili powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, or whatever you like!
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Store your breaded lemon chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheating can be done in the microwave, or you can use your oven. Just be sure not to dry out your chicken while you reheat.
This chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge for a while before reheating.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
You can make your breadcrumbs from scratch ahead of time if you want to save time on prep when making your oven fried lemon chicken.