This one pan chicken breast and asparagus in lemon cream sauce is a tempting one-skillet main dish, and delicious with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower. Red pepper flakes bring a tiny bit of heat to the sauce, so use as much or as little as you wish.
Prep Time::10 mins
Cook Time::30 mins
Total Time::40 mins
Servings::4
Ingredients
Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it.
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced shallots
1 pound asparagus, cut into 3-inch pieces, discarding any tough ends
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
fresh basil sprigs for garnish (optional)
lemon slices for garnish (optional)
Directions
Combine lemon zest and juice, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth in a small bowl and set aside.
Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to create 4 cutlets. Pat dry with paper towels and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, carefully add chicken pieces and brown for 3 to 5 minutes per side. Chicken will not be fully cooked. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
To the same skillet, add shallots and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth mixture and bring to a boil.
Return chicken to the skillet with any accumulated juices. Add asparagus pieces around chicken and sprinkle on minced basil. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer until asparagus is tender, and chicken is no longer pink at the center and juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove cover and increase heat to medium. Melt butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring continuously, allowing sauce to thicken a little. Remove from heat and stir in cream. To serve, place in a serving dish and garnish with additional fresh basil and lemon slices.