Lemon Pepper Chicken with Creamy Garlic-Lemon Sauce

Lemon Pepper Chicken:

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Mix 3 teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning with flour. Pat the tops (skin side) of chicken thighs with this seasoning mixture.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on high-medium heat in a large skillet. 
• Add chicken thighs skin side down and cook for about 4 minutes on high-medium heat until browned, uncovered. Sprinkle the other side of chicken with 1 teaspoon more of lemon pepper seasoning. 
• Flip the chicken thighs over and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from heat. 
• Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place chicken thighs skin side up (crispy side up) on the baking sheet and bake at 375 F for about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked, the juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Creamy Sauce:

• In the meantime, while the chicken is baking, make the sauce. Thoroughly clean and dry the skillet you used for cooking chicken thighs. 
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and ½ tablespoon butter on medium heat in this cleaned skillet. 
• Add minced garlic and cook, constantly stirring, for about 30 seconds. 
• Add chicken stock and 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning to the skillet and bring to boil. 
• Add heavy cream and bring to boil. 
• Add shredded cheese and stir until melted. Reduce heat to simmer and keep stirring until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat. 
• Add 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and stir in. Top with chopped green onions (chop up only green portion of green onions and don't use white portion). Keep the sauce covered.
• The lemon pepper chicken should be cooked by now. Check it for doneness and if chicken is completely cooked through, add it to the skillet on top of the sauce and on top of green onions. 
• Top with chopped parsley and decorate with a few slices of lemon.

Nutrition

Nutrition InformationLemon Pepper Chicken with Creamy Garlic-Lemon SauceAmount per ServingCalories666% Daily Value*Fat 52g80%Saturated Fat 19g119%Trans Fat 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat 7gMonounsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 213mg71%Sodium 417mg18%Potassium 524mg15%Carbohydrates 13g4%Fiber 1g4%Sugar 2g2%Protein 35g70%Vitamin A 816IU16%Vitamin C 6mg7%Calcium 209mg21%Iron 2mg11%* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

How to make lemon pepper chicken

1) Mix 3 teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning with flour. Pat the tops (skin side) of chicken thighs with this seasoning mixture.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on high-medium heat in a large skillet.
3) Add chicken thighs skin side down and cook for about 4 minutes on high-medium heat until browned, uncovered.
4) Sprinkle the other side of the chicken with 1 teaspoon more lemon pepper seasoning.
5) Flip the chicken thighs over and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. The skin side of chicken thighs should be nicely browned like this:

6) Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil.
7) Place chicken thighs skin side up (crispy side up) on the baking sheet and bake at 375 F for about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked, the juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink in the center:

8) In the meantime, while the chicken is baking, make the sauce with garlic, chicken stock, heavy cream, lemon pepper seasoning, and shredded cheese (Parmesan, Mozzarella, or both).
9) Add 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and top with chopped green onions:

10) Add cooked lemon pepper chicken thighs to the skillet on top of the sauce.
11) Top with chopped parsley and decorate with a few slices of lemon:

Substitutions

• You can use shredded Mozzarella cheese in place of shredded Parmesan cheese.
• To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free flour.
• You can use chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken thighs. Just be sure to watch the baking times - depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs, the baking time might have to be reduced.

Recipe tips and recommendations

• To save time, while the chicken bakes, make the cream sauce. This way, the whole recipe will take only 40 minutes from start to finish, including a baking time of 20 minutes.
• Tips for making the creamy sauce.  To make the cream sauce, bring all the liquids (chicken broth and heavy cream) to a brief boil, and add shredded Parmesan cheese. Immediately, reduce the heat to simmer and continue stirring the sauce on low simmer heat until all the cheese is completely melted and the creamy sauce forms.

What to serve with lemon pepper chicken

• Greens.  Cook some spinach, or other greens, such as Swiss chard, or kale.  Here is a recipe for a simple sautéed spinach - you can cook pretty much any leaves using this recipe.
• Green beans.  Simple cooked green beans will do.  If you want something a bit more interesting, try bacon and garlic green beans, sautéed in olive oil and butter in a skillet on the stovetop.
• Potatoes: Serve mashed potatoes, and roasted potatoes, or try this refreshing cilantro-lime potato salad.
• Rice: Serve rice pilaf or any kind of flavored rice that you can buy in the store in a package. You can also serve this with wild rice, delicious with this lemon pepper chicken.