Chicken Limone is a bright and flavorful Italian dish made with tender chicken and a simple lemon butter sauce. The combination of fresh lemon juice, garlic, and butter creates a light yet rich sauce that pairs perfectly with chicken.
As a cookbook author and professional recipe developer, I love recipes like this that highlight simple ingredients and classic Italian flavors. Chicken limone is elegant enough for entertaining but easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner.
This recipe comes together quickly and pairs beautifully with pasta, roasted vegetables, or a simple salad.
I love serving this with my lemon ricotta pasta. It's so good together and packed with lemony flavor. If you're looking for other easy dinner recipes, check out our Penne al Salmone, Italian Chicken Cutlets, or Calabrese sauce.
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What Is Chicken Limone?
Chicken limone is an Italian-style chicken dish made with a light lemon butter sauce. The word limone means "lemon" in Italian, and the dish highlights the bright flavor of fresh lemon juice combined with butter, garlic, and chicken broth.
It's similar to chicken piccata but typically does not include capers.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Bright and Fresh Flavor: The lemon sauce adds brightness that balances the richness of the butter and chicken.
- Quick Weeknight Dinner: Chicken limone comes together in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy evenings.
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses pantry staples like chicken, lemon, garlic, and butter.
- Restaurant-Style Dish at Home: Chicken limone feels elegant and flavorful, similar to what you might order at an Italian restaurant.
Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you will need for this recipe:
- Boneless Chicken Breasts - Sliced in half with a sharp knife. You can also pound chicken breasts if you like them thin. Boneless skinless chicken breasts work well in this recipe because they cook quickly and absorb the lemon sauce beautifully.
- Eggs - Beaten
- Flour - All purpose flour is best in this recipe
- Garlic Powder - Garlic adds depth and enhances the citrus flavor of the sauce.
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Butter - unsalted. You can also substitute with olive oil, but I don't recommend using extra virgin olive oil because it can smoke.
- Lemon Juice - Fresh lemon juice is key for the best flavor. Bottled lemon juice doesn't have the same brightness.
- White Wine - use a dry white wine. If you don't drink alcohol, you can use chicken stock or chicken broth as a substitute.
- Fresh Parsley - Italian parsley, for serving
- Lemon slices - for serving
Directions
Pat chicken breasts dry. Combine flour garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
Dip each chicken slice in egg mixture, then dredge in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour and set aside on a plate.
Heat butter in a large pan, dutch oven, or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add butter to the skillet and let it melt. Once the butter is sizzling place chicken in the large skillet. Cook chicken for 3 minutes per side, working in batches if needed.
Once all the chicken is cooked, remove all chicken from pan and add lemon juice and white wine. Scrape off brown bits from the bottom of the pan and let the sauce reduce for 3-5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add chicken and serve.
Tina's Tips and Tricks
Here are some expert tips and tricks when making this chicken limone recipe.
- Use fresh lemon juice - Fresh lemons provide the best flavor and brightness.
- Don't overcook the chicken - Chicken breasts cook quickly and can become dry if overcooked.
- Make it for a Crowd - This recipe is really great for a large crowd, or it's great to have leftovers on hand during the week! You can definitely meal prep this recipe and use in salads and pasta dishes through the week.
- Cook Chicken in Batches - Make sure you don't over crowd the pan when cooking the chicken. It can be tempting to try to fit it all in one pan, but cooking in batches will allow the chicken to crisp and cook properly.
- Use an Instant Thermometer - Use an instant thermometer to check when your chicken is done. This is the best way to ensure perfectly cooked chicken!
Kitchen Equipment
Here is some kitchen equipment you will need for this recipe. You can find all of these products on Amazon.
- Large Skillet -Â I have this large skillet and I love it! I use it for so many different recipes.
- Mixing Bowls -Â These mixing bowls are great to have in the kitchen! This is a staple for any home cook.
- Serving Tray - I love serving this chicken limone on a large serving tray on top of pasta. This serving tray is perfect for this dish and variety of other recipes.
Recipe Substitutions/Variations
Here are some common recipe substitutions and variations for this easy recipe.
- Kick up the Lemon - Add in lemon peel or lemon zest while you're making the sauce to kick up the lemon flavor in this recipe even more!
- Make it a Pasta Dish -Â Double the lemon butter sauce and then toss in some angel hair pasta into the sauce. Serve on a serving platter and top with chicken and parmesan cheese for a complete dish!
- Lighten it Up -Â Sub olive oil for the butter and use a nut flour instead of all purpose flour to lighten up this dish. You can also serve with cauliflower rice and green beans for a complete healthy meal!
Frequently Asked Questions
Add flavor to chicken breasts by breading and pan frying and then topping with a juicy sauce, like a lemon butter sauce in this chicken limone recipe.
They are similar, but chicken piccata usually includes capers while chicken limone focuses on lemon and butter.
Season chicken breasts with garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, or lemon juice. We love dredging chicken breasts in flour and searing for added flavor.
Yes, you can definitely pan fry chicken breasts. Heat olive oil or butter until warm and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Recipe Storage and Reheating
Here are storage and reheating instructions for this recipe.
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight continuer and eat leftovers within 4-5 days.
- Freezer Storage: Freeze in a freezer-safe, airtight container and keep for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as instructed below.
- Reheating Instructions:Â The best way to reheat this recipe is to heat in a skillet with a little olive oil over low heat until warm.
Other Recipes to Try
Check out some of our other delicious new recipes!
This chicken limone recipe features tender chicken simmered in a bright lemon butter sauce, creating a simple Italian dish that comes together in about 30 minutes.
Chicken Limone
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts halved
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Fresh parsley for serving
- Lemon slices for serving
Instructions
- Pat chicken breasts dry. Combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Dip each chicken slice in the egg mixture, then dredge in flour.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter to the skillet.
- Once the butter is melted and sizzling, add chicken to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken from pan and add lemon juice and white wine. Scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan and let the sauce reduce for 3-5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Pour sauce over chicken and top with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve with pasta and enjoy.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment below or tag us @tasting.with.tina on Instagram!
Vinod jakhedi says
very good
Christina Musgrave says
Thanks! So glad you liked the recipe!
Allie says
Made this for an easy Sunday night meal, paired with a shredded carrot salad. Super quick to pull together and tasted delicious, plus didn’t require a lot of dishes so a quick wash up!
Christina Musgrave says
Thanks so much for making the recipe! So glad you enjoyed!