Golden brown, pan-seared chicken cutlets are coated in a garlicky lemon sauce and served with tender asparagus and mushrooms. Everything cooks in one skillet in about 30 minutes, perfect for a quick spring or summer dinner.
This Is the One-Pan Chicken Dinner I’ll Be Making All Spring and Summer
“How is this so easy yet so good??” When I find myself asking this question after testing a new recipe, that’s when I know I’ve struck gold.
This lemony chicken skillet seems so simple on the surface, but its many layers of flavors and textures make it stand out from the crowd. There’s golden pan-seared chicken, a zippy lemon sauce, crisp-tender asparagus, and mushrooms that soak up all of the garlicky, lemony goodness like little sponges.
This is one-pan cooking at its finest, with the chicken and veggies finishing in around 30 minutes. During the last few minutes of simmering, you can toss together a simple arugula salad or set some rice to cook when you start the chicken, and dinner is served.
It’s the kind of meal that makes you feel like you’ve got your act together, even on your busiest nights.
Enjoy!
Tips for Making This Recipe
Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to reduce the cook time. Sometimes I can find pre-made chicken cutlets at my local grocery store, but more often than not I have to purchase chicken breasts and prep my own. Slicing them lengthwise takes just a few extra seconds, but it significantly reduces the cook time and prevents the edges of the chicken from drying out.
Thinner asparagus spears are more tender and flavorful. I used to buy thick asparagus spears, thinking they were more mature and therefore better. But in reality thick asparagus spears tend to be fibrous and tough to chew, so look for thinners ones if you can.
Freshly grated Parm melts seamlessly into the sauce. The stuff from a shaker can (and even some of the bagged shredded Parm) always clumps up in the sauce, so avoid using it here.
A Few Ingredient Notes
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken — I used boneless skinless chicken breasts that I sliced in half lengthwise to create a total of four thinner chicken cutlets.
- Mushrooms — Brown button mushrooms are savory, slightly nutty, and add lots of great texture.
- Asparagus — I prefer cutting mine into 1 ½-inch pieces for quicker cooking and easy eating.
- Lemon juice — Freshly squeezed delivers the brightest flavor, but bottled works in a pinch too.
- Parmesan cheese — For a different flavor profile, sub in Pecorino Romano, feta, or crumbled goat cheese.
Love asparagus? I add this spring vegetable to salmon pasta, creamy risotto, orzo salad, and goat cheese frittatas too!
How to Cook the Chicken and Veggies in One Pan
- Prep the chicken. As with most of my skillet chicken recipes, I start by slicing the thicker breasts into thin cutlets and then season them generously with salt and pepper.
- Brown the chicken. I like using a blend of olive oil and butter here; the butter makes the chicken taste a little richer, while the oil prevents the butter from burning. Remove the chicken to a plate while you cook the asparagus and mushrooms.
- Sauté the aromatics. To the now-empty pan, add some garlic, shallot, and thyme. Once that’s fragrant and the shallot has softened, add the quartered mushrooms and keep cooking until they start to soften.
- Add the asparagus and chicken. Stir in the lemon juice and chicken broth, followed by the asparagus pieces. Nestle the chicken into the lemon sauce and simmer for no more than 5 minutes to finish cooking the chicken.
- Sprinkle on the Parm and serve. The cheese should melt into the lemon chicken and asparagus, adding an extra layer of umami flavor.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 1 – 1 ½ pounds)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt , divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper , divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large shallot , minced
- 3 garlic cloves , pressed or minced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme , plus more for garnish
- ½ pound brown button mushrooms , quartered
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ lemon , juiced
- 1 pound asparagus , trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup freshy grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts, then brown in a skillet. Trim any excess fat from 1 – 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts and slice each in half lengthwise to make two thin cutlets (four total). With 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, evenly season all sides of the chicken breasts. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer to a platter or sheet pan and cover with foil.
- Sauté the aromatics with the mushrooms. Wipe out any burned crispies from the skillet, then heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add 1 minced shallot, 3 pressed garlic cloves, and 4 sprigs fresh thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally so garlic doesn’t burn, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add ½ pound quartered mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
- Finish the sauce with the asparagus and chicken. Increase heat to medium-high and add 1 cup chicken broth, the juice of ½ lemon, and 1 pound asparagus pieces, and bring to a simmering boil. Nestle the browned chicken with their juices in the skillet, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the asparagus is tender and chicken is cooked through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped thyme leaves.
Nutrition
What to Serve With This One Pan Chicken Dinner
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