Lemon Chicken With Mushrooms and Garlic

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 09/8/19
Skillet Lemon Chicken With Mushrooms
Diana Rattray
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This easy chicken and lemon dish is made with bone-in chicken pieces, butter, and lemon juice. We used split chicken breasts in the pictured dish.

This recipe is a simple and versatile skillet lemon chicken preparation with the addition of sliced mushrooms and basic seasonings. Use a cut-up frying chicken, split chicken breasts (bone-in), whole chicken legs, or thighs in this dish. If you don't like mushrooms, feel free to leave them out or replace them with sliced celery, chopped mild onions, or a little of both.

Lemon and garlic provide excellent flavor, along with the butter and seasonings. Depending on what you serve with this chicken, it can be a basic, everyday family meal or an elegant dinner.

If you prefer to use boneless chicken breasts or thighs, try the Marinated Lemon Chicken with Garlic or the lemony Chicken Piccata.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) butter
  • 8 ounces mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus 1 lemon (thinly sliced)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large clove garlic or 2 small cloves (pressed)
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds cut-up chicken parts, whole legs, thighs, or split chicken breasts

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large, heavy skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt butter.

  3. When the butter is foaming, add the sliced mushrooms to the pan; saute until tender and golden brown.

  4. Add the 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper; bring the butter and lemon juice mixture to a simmer.

  5. Add chicken pieces to the skillet, skin-side down, and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes to brown the skin a bit.

  6. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute longer.

  7. Scatter the sliced lemon over the chicken parts in the pan. 

  8. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, shifting and turning the chicken occasionally. The meat of the chicken should be tender, and juices should run clear when the chicken is pricked with a fork. If you used chicken parts of different sizes, remove smaller pieces as they test done and keep them warm while you cook the remaining pieces.

  9. For crispier skin with more color, heat the broiler. Move the pan (chicken skin-side up) to the oven just before the chicken is done and broil for a few minutes.

  10. Serve the chicken with mashed or baked potatoes, a rice dish, or macaroni and cheese. Add a side vegetable or a tossed salad or slaw, along with biscuits or rolls. 

  11. Enjoy!

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.

Tip

  • According to the USDA, the minimum safe temperature for cooking chicken is 165 F (74 C). Use a reliable food thermometer to ensure that the chicken has reached the required internal temperature. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1062 Calories
69g Fat
14g Carbs
93g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1062
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 69g 88%
Saturated Fat 27g 135%
Cholesterol 346mg 115%
Sodium 979mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Protein 93g
Calcium 123mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)