Creamy Lemon Chicken With Spinach and Artichokes

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

25 mins

Servings:

4

A fan favorite, our creamy lemon chicken is an easy dinner that highlights all of the best parts of spinach-artichoke dip. It requires just 10 minutes of hands-on cooking and uses only one skillet, making clean-up a breeze. The secret to this dish lies in its use of quick-cooking ingredients like thin chicken cutlets, artichoke hearts, and baby spinach. Cream cheese gives a silkiness to the sauce without the need for heavy cream, while fresh thyme and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end keep things bright and zingy. Try it once and you just may return to this lightning-fast main dish time and again.

Key Ingredients for Creamy Lemon Chicken

The ingredient list for this one-skillet dinner may look long, but many of the items—like flour, butter, garlic, chicken broth, and lemons—are probably already in your kitchen. These are the fresh and frozen items that make up the rest of the meal.

Chicken Cutlets: Thin chicken cutlets cook up in a flash and require next to no prep. If you prefer, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs instead, just plan to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.

Artichoke hearts: Artichoke hearts add a tangy lift to this easy main dish. To thaw frozen artichokes, run them under cold water in a colander before using. Swap in a drained 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts if you can't find them frozen.

Spinach: Baby spinach wilts in the skillet in no time. In a pinch, you can use a 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, just be sure to thaw and drain it very well to keep the sauce from becoming runny.

Cream cheese: To add silky richness to the sauce without any heavy cream, we use half a bar of cream cheese. Pull it out of the fridge 15 to 20 minutes before you're ready to start cooking so it has a chance to soften and will incorporate more easily into the sauce.

Thyme: We love the subtle herby boost that fresh thyme brings to this recipe. If you are using dried thyme instead, you'll only need to add one teaspoon.

Parmesan cheese: Nutty, salty Parmesan cheese finishes this creamy chicken recipe. For the best flavor and texture, we recommend grating it yourself rather than buying grated cheese. Use a microplane or the fine holes of a box grater for fine shreds.

Directions

Heat skillet; dredge chicken:

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Add butter and 1 tablespoon oil to skillet.
Cook until golden:

When butter melts, add chicken in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until golden brown in places but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Cook garlic and thyme; add broth and cream cheese:

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme to skillet; cook until fragrant, 10 seconds. Stir in broth and cream cheese; cook until mixture boils and cheese melts.
Add spinach, then artichokes:

Add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in artichokes; cook 1 minute more.
Return chicken to pan and simmer:

Return chicken and accumulated juices to skillet. Simmer, shaking pan occasionally, until sauce is reduced and thickened slightly and chicken is just cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Add lemon and Parmesan, and serve:

Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and cheese. Serve over rice.

What to Serve With Creamy Lemon Chicken

On the side: Serve this tangy and creamy chicken recipe with steamed rice to help soak up all that sauce. Or try it with pasta—think orzo or egg noodles—or even just some crusty bread.

Salad: If you'd like to pair the rich dish with a salad, try a classic Caesar or this simple, tender lettuce recipe.

More vegetables: While this chicken dish already contains plenty of vegetables, it never hurts to add another: These hands-off, microwave-steamed green beans cook up fast, in about as long as it'll take to get the chicken to the table.