Welcome to a culinary journey that promises to elevate your home dining experience: the exquisite Panko Crusted Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce. This dish isn’t just a meal; it’s a celebration of textures and flavors, making it an absolute favorite, especially when hosting guests. Its appeal lies in its sophisticated taste profile, combined with a surprisingly straightforward preparation, ensuring you can impress without the stress. The secret to its undeniable charm? Perfectly crispy, golden-brown chicken cutlets generously coated in authentic panko breadcrumbs, bathed in a velvety, bright, and utterly delicious lemon cream sauce. It’s the kind of dish that makes everyone ask for the recipe, reminiscent of gourmet restaurant quality, much like the iconic Chicken Costoletta from The Cheesecake Factory, but easily recreated in your own kitchen.
There’s something truly magical about that first bite. The exterior of the panko breaded chicken is wonderfully crunchy, delivering an addictive crispness that even picky eaters (our kids often mistake it for gourmet chicken nuggets!) adore. This delightful crunch gives way to an incredibly juicy and tender interior, a testament to properly cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The breading itself is elevated with hints of salty Parmesan cheese and bright lemon zest, creating a savory foundation that perfectly complements the rich sauce. Every element is designed to tantalize your taste buds, from the initial crisp to the succulent chicken beneath.
But let’s talk about the sauce – the luxurious creamy lemon sauce that truly ties this dish together. It’s a harmonious blend of rich butter, aromatic garlic, and the irresistible tang of fresh lemon. The sauce is meticulously crafted to be silken smooth, clinging beautifully to each piece of chicken. It starts with a base of sautéed garlic and butter, building layers of flavor before a touch of white wine adds depth and acidity, and finally, heavy cream transforms it into a luscious, dreamy consistency. The finishing touch of fresh lemon juice and zest infuses it with a vibrant, zesty brightness that cuts through the richness, leaving a memorable, fresh note on your palate. This sauce is not merely an accompaniment; it’s a co-star that elevates the entire dish from simply delicious to absolutely unforgettable. While it pairs beautifully with the panko chicken cutlets, we highly recommend serving it alongside creamy mashed potatoes, allowing the sauce to pool and create an even more indulgent experience. It’s incredibly delicious and tastes remarkably similar to the famous Chicken Costoletta served at The Cheesecake Factory, offering a high-end restaurant quality meal right at your dinner table.
Essential Ingredients for Panko Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce
Crafting this restaurant-quality easy breaded chicken recipe doesn’t require an arsenal of obscure ingredients. In fact, most items are likely staples in your pantry and refrigerator. We’ve carefully selected each component to ensure maximum flavor and optimal texture for both the crispy chicken and the decadent lemon cream sauce. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need to create this culinary masterpiece:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: The lean canvas for our crispy creation. We’ll show you how to prepare them for even cooking and maximum juiciness.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: The star of our crispy coating, providing that distinctive light and airy crunch.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Adds a savory, nutty depth to the breading, enhancing its golden-brown crust.
- Fresh Lemons: Crucial for both the zest in the breading and the bright, tangy flavor of the cream sauce. Always opt for fresh!
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the initial dredge for the chicken and is key to creating a smooth, thick roux for the sauce.
- Egg: Acts as the “glue” to ensure the panko coating adheres perfectly to the chicken.
- Unsalted Butter: Essential for both pan-frying the chicken and building the rich, luscious foundation of the cream sauce. Unsalted allows for better control of seasoning.
- Olive Oil: Used in conjunction with butter for pan-frying, offering a higher smoke point and contributing to the golden crust.
- Better Than Bouillon (Roasted Chicken Flavor): A fantastic secret ingredient for adding concentrated, savory chicken flavor to the sauce without adding excessive liquid.
- White Wine: Used to deglaze the pan and add a layer of complex acidity and depth to the lemon cream sauce. A dry white wine is preferred.
- Heavy Cream: The cornerstone of our rich and velvety sauce, providing unparalleled creaminess and body. There’s no true substitute for this!
You’ll find the precise measurements for each of these high-quality ingredients within the comprehensive recipe card located at the conclusion of this article. This list merely serves as an introductory overview, ensuring you have everything readily available before you begin your culinary adventure.
Understanding Panko: The Secret to Superior Crispiness
To truly appreciate this dish, it’s worth understanding the magic behind its namesake ingredient: Panko. Originating from Japan, panko is a distinct type of breadcrumb celebrated for its remarkably light, airy, and flaky texture. Unlike traditional Western breadcrumbs, which are often made from whole loaves of bread and can be dense and finely ground, panko is produced from crustless white bread that is baked using an electric current, resulting in larger, irregularly shaped flakes. These unique characteristics are precisely why panko is the preferred choice for creating exceptionally crispy coatings that avoid the heavy, greasy texture often associated with deep-fried or pan-fried foods.
The secret to panko’s superior performance lies in its structure. The larger, more porous flakes absorb less oil during cooking compared to finer breadcrumbs. This means the coating stays crispier for longer, delivering that satisfying crunch without becoming soggy or overly oily. Additionally, the irregular shape of panko flakes creates more surface area, which translates to a more dramatic crunch and a beautiful golden-brown crust when cooked. It truly makes a noticeable difference in the final outcome of breaded dishes, providing a delicate yet robust crispness that enhances the overall eating experience of our panko crusted chicken.
Crafting the Perfect Panko Crusted Chicken and Lemon Cream Sauce
Creating this magnificent dish is a two-part process: perfectly breading and cooking the chicken, and then simmering a rich, vibrant lemon cream sauce. Both steps are surprisingly simple, but attention to detail ensures a truly exceptional result.
Part 1: Mastering the Panko Chicken
The journey to perfectly crispy chicken begins with proper preparation and breading. You’ll want to set up a classic three-stage breading station for efficiency.
First, prepare your chicken breasts. While technically optional, pounding the chicken flat to an even 1/4-inch thickness is highly recommended. This ensures uniform cooking, prevents one part from drying out while another finishes, and creates a larger, more consistent surface area for your delicious panko coating. Place each boneless, skinless chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap or inside a large freezer bag and use a meat mallet or the flat side of a rolling pin to gently, but firmly, pound them out. You’ll want to aim for roughly the same thickness across the entire breast. Once flattened, slice the larger breasts diagonally to create four more manageable cutlets, which cook faster and are easier to serve.
Next, set up three shallow dishes. In the first dish, combine your all-purpose flour with a generous seasoning of kosher salt and fresh black pepper. This step is crucial for ensuring the chicken itself is well-seasoned, not just the coating. Thoroughly dredge each chicken piece in this seasoned flour, ensuring every side is covered, then lightly shake off any excess flour.
In the second dish, lightly beat an egg. This egg wash acts as the essential “glue” that binds the dry panko mixture to the chicken. After the flour, dip each chicken cutlet into the beaten egg, allowing any excess to drip off. The moisture from the egg will create the perfect tacky surface.
Finally, in your third dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and bright lemon zest. This mixture is where much of the external flavor resides, delivering a burst of savory, cheesy, and zesty notes. Take each egg-coated chicken piece and press it firmly into the panko mixture, ensuring it’s completely coated on all sides. Don’t be shy – really press the panko onto the chicken to ensure a thick, even crust. The more panko, the crispier the result!
Now, it’s time to cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add a tablespoon each of olive oil and unsalted butter. The combination of oil and butter provides a delicious flavor and helps achieve a beautiful golden crust without burning the butter. Once the butter is melted and slightly foaming, carefully place two breaded chicken breasts into the skillet, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan (this helps maintain consistent heat and crispiness). Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the chicken is a beautiful golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) for safe consumption. Add more oil and butter to the pan as needed for subsequent batches. The result will be perfectly cooked, juicy chicken enveloped in a gloriously crunchy, flavorful panko crust.
Oven-Baked Panko Chicken: A Lighter Alternative
While pan-frying offers an unmatched crispy crust, this panko chicken recipe adapts beautifully to oven baking, providing a slightly healthier and often less messy alternative without sacrificing much on flavor or crunch. If you prefer to bake, here’s how to achieve crispy results:
First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup, then spray it generously with cooking spray. This direct contact with a hot, oiled surface is key to mimicking the crispiness of pan-frying in the oven.
Place your breaded chicken cutlets on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, ensuring they are not touching, which allows hot air to circulate evenly around each piece. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). For extra crispiness and even browning, you can flip the chicken halfway through the baking time. The high heat of the oven quickly cooks the chicken while the panko crisps up beautifully, resulting in delicious crispy baked panko chicken, perfectly ready to be drizzled with that incredible lemon cream sauce!
Crafting the Irresistible Lemon Cream Sauce
The lemon cream sauce is the pièce de résistance of this dish, bringing a luxurious creaminess and bright tang that perfectly complements the crispy panko chicken. And despite its gourmet appeal, it’s remarkably simple to prepare. Here’s how to create this delectable sauce:
Begin by heating a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of unsalted butter and one tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon (roasted chicken flavor) to the pan. Allow them to melt together, then add one minced clove of garlic. Sauté the garlic for about one minute, or until it becomes fragrant, ensuring it doesn’t brown or burn, which can lead to a bitter taste.
Once the garlic is fragrant and the butter-bouillon mixture is melted, swiftly whisk in one tablespoon of all-purpose flour. This step is critical for creating a roux, which will act as the primary thickener for your sauce. Continue to whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. This crucial step cooks out the raw flour taste, preventing your sauce from having a pasty or unrefined flavor. Flour is an excellent thickener for cream sauces as it blends seamlessly and provides a smooth consistency.
Next, quickly add two tablespoons of white wine to deglaze the pan. The wine will immediately begin to bubble and lift any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan. We typically use a cooking white wine, but any dry white wine you enjoy drinking (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio) will work. If you prefer not to use alcohol, a good quality chicken stock is an excellent substitute, providing savory depth without the sweetness that white grape juice might introduce, which can make the sauce taste too sweet and “flowery” for this particular dish.
Immediately after adding the wine, pour in 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Increase the heat slightly to bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce it to a medium or medium-high simmer. Allow the sauce to gently boil and thicken for a few minutes, whisking occasionally. The consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season the sauce generously with a pinch of kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Don’t be afraid to add a little more salt if it tastes flat; an under-seasoned sauce will lack vibrancy.
Finally, and most importantly, remove the sauce from the heat before adding the zest and juice of one fresh lemon. Whisk everything together until well incorporated. Adding the lemon at the very end and off the heat helps preserve its bright, fresh flavor and prevents the acid from potentially curdling the cream. Serve this exquisite lemon cream sauce immediately over your crispy panko chicken, perhaps garnished with fresh lemon wedges for an extra pop of color and flavor!
Expert Tips for the Ultimate Panko Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce
Achieving restaurant-quality results at home is easier than you think with a few key techniques and considerations:
- Pound Your Chicken Evenly: As mentioned, pounding your boneless, skinless chicken breasts to an even 1/4-inch thickness is a game-changer. This simple step ensures that all parts of the chicken cook at the same rate, preventing thinner edges from drying out while thicker sections finish cooking. It also creates a larger, more consistent surface for the panko breading, maximizing crispiness in every bite.
- Mind the Acid in Your Sauce: A common pitfall when making creamy sauces, especially those with citrus, is curdling. Acid, such as lemon juice, can cause dairy to separate if added too early or to a sauce that is boiling too vigorously. To prevent this, always add your fresh lemon juice and zest as the very last step, after removing the sauce from the heat. This allows the lemon’s vibrant flavor to shine without compromising the sauce’s silky texture. While white wine also contains acid, its lower concentration and the cooking process make it less problematic when added earlier.
- Embrace Full-Fat Dairy: When it comes to a truly rich and decadent cream sauce, there are really no substitutions for heavy cream and real unsalted butter. Lighter creams, milks, or butter substitutes simply do not have the fat content required to create the proper velvety texture and stability needed for this sauce. Without the richness of heavy cream, your sauce may not thicken correctly, resulting in a thin, watery consistency instead of the luscious coating you desire. Invest in good quality dairy for the best possible outcome.
- Season at Every Step: Don’t just season the flour; ensure your chicken breasts themselves are lightly seasoned with salt and pepper before breading. Then, taste and adjust the seasoning of your lemon cream sauce throughout the cooking process, adding salt and pepper as needed. Layers of seasoning build complex flavor.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: When pan-frying the chicken, cook it in batches if necessary. Overcrowding the skillet lowers the oil temperature, which can lead to soggy chicken rather than crispy. Allow each piece enough space to achieve that perfect golden-brown crust.
Perfect Pairings: What to Serve with Panko Chicken
The bright, rich, and crispy profile of this panko chicken with lemon cream sauce makes it incredibly versatile, pairing beautifully with a wide array of side dishes. We often find that the vibrant flavors of the chicken and sauce are best complemented by something substantial and comforting, or a fresh, crisp element to balance the richness. Here are some of our favorite sides that perfectly complete this easy breaded chicken dinner:
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes: This is our top recommendation! The velvety mashed potatoes provide a perfect bed for the crispy chicken and an ideal canvas for soaking up every drop of that luscious lemon cream sauce.
- Grilled Lemon Pepper Asparagus: Fresh, crisp asparagus with a hint of lemon and pepper mirrors the bright notes of the main dish, offering a wonderful textural contrast.
- Lemon Roasted Broccoli: Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of broccoli, and a touch of lemon zest and juice ties it into the overall flavor profile of the meal.
- Dill Pea and Cucumber Salad: A refreshing, light salad with herbaceous dill and crisp cucumber provides a cool, tangy counterpoint to the rich chicken and sauce.
- Broccoli Salad: A creamy, crunchy broccoli salad with a sweet and tangy dressing can add another layer of texture and flavor, making for a satisfying side.
- Simple Garlic Roasted Vegetables: A medley of your favorite seasonal vegetables, roasted with garlic and herbs, makes for an easy and flavorful addition that complements without overpowering.
- Fluffy White Rice or Orzo: For a simpler starch option, plain white rice or a light orzo pasta can absorb the sauce beautifully.
Planning Ahead: Can You Prep This Dish in Advance?
When it comes to enjoying the optimal texture and flavor of this exquisite dish, timing is key. For the panko crusted chicken itself, we highly recommend preparing and cooking it fresh just before serving. The signature crispiness of the panko breading is at its absolute best straight from the skillet or oven. Prepping the chicken ahead of time, even just breading it, can lead to a soggy crust as moisture from the chicken seeps into the breadcrumbs, diminishing that delightful crunch. However, the luscious lemon cream sauce offers a bit more flexibility.
Technically, you *can* make the lemon cream sauce in advance, but there are a couple of important considerations to keep in mind to maintain its quality and texture:
- Thickening as it Cools: Cream sauces naturally thicken as they cool. If you plan to make the sauce hours or a day ahead, consider adding an extra couple of tablespoons of liquid (either a bit more white wine, chicken stock, or even milk/cream) during its initial preparation. This slight thinning will help counteract the natural thickening that occurs when it cools, ensuring it’s not overly thick when reheated.
- Proper Cooling Method: Rapid cooling is essential for cream sauces to prevent bacterial growth and maintain quality. Once the sauce is cooked, immediately transfer it to a clean, cool bowl. For even faster cooling, you can place this bowl over an ice bath (a larger bowl filled with ice water). Stir the sauce occasionally until it has cooled completely. Avoid letting a cream sauce sit at room temperature for an extended period.
- Airtight Storage: Once cooled, proper storage is crucial. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream sauce in the bowl. This prevents a skin from forming and protects it from air, which can affect its flavor and texture. For an extra layer of protection, you can also use a sharp knife to puncture a small hole or two in the plastic wrap to allow any residual heat to escape during the initial cooling phase, then seal completely for refrigeration. Alternatively, we find that a heavy-duty ziploc bag, with all the air pressed out, works wonderfully for storing sauces, making it easy to reheat later.
Store the prepared sauce in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Please note that while the sauce can be prepped ahead, its delicate nature means it sadly doesn’t keep indefinitely. It’s generally best consumed within 2-3 days. By the third day, the quality may diminish, and it’s time to let it go. However, don’t waste those leftovers! We often like to reinvent it, incorporating leftover sauce into a new dish, such as a creamy chicken and vegetable casserole the very next night, giving it a delicious second life.
Freezing Lemon Cream Sauce: A Word of Caution
While some sauces freeze beautifully, cream-based sauces, including this lemon cream sauce, can be temperamental when frozen. The high fat content and delicate emulsion in cream sauces make them prone to curdling or separating into an oily, grainy texture upon reheating after freezing. This is a common challenge due to the expansion of water crystals during freezing and the subsequent breakdown of fats.
However, if freezing is absolutely necessary, there are ways to mitigate the damage. We’ve found that using a vacuum sealer, like our beloved Food Saver, can make a noticeable difference. By sucking out all the air, it helps reduce freezer burn and maintain the sauce’s integrity slightly better, often allowing us to get a few weeks of freezer storage out of a cream sauce. When freezing, always ensure the sauce is completely cooled before sealing. Label with the date and consume within a few weeks for best quality. Be prepared for a slight textural change upon reheating, but with careful warming, it can still be quite enjoyable.
Reheating Lemon Cream Sauce with Care
Reheating a cream sauce, especially one containing lemon, requires a gentle touch to prevent curdling and maintain its smooth, luxurious consistency. The key is slow, even heating. The safest and most effective method is using a double boiler, which provides indirect heat, safeguarding the delicate emulsion of the sauce. Here’s how to do it:
- Prepare a Double Boiler: Fill the base of a double boiler with about an inch or two of water. Ensure the water level is below the bottom of the top insert (or a heatproof glass bowl that fits snugly over the saucepan) when it’s placed on top.
- Gentle Heat: Place the saucepan with water on the stove and bring the water to a gentle simmer over low to medium heat.
- Add the Sauce: Pour your cold lemon cream sauce into the top of the double boiler (or the glass bowl).
- Whisk and Warm Slowly: Place the top insert over the simmering water. It’s very important to heat the sauce slowly, stirring it occasionally with a whisk. This constant, gentle stirring helps to re-emulsify any fats that may have separated and counteracts the tendency of the cream to curdle.
- Adjust Consistency: As the sauce warms, assess its consistency. If your lemon cream sauce is a little too thick after reheating, you can easily adjust it by whisking in a small amount of milk or heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired silky smoothness. Continue whisking until it is fully heated through and reaches the perfect serving consistency.
Avoid reheating cream sauce directly in a saucepan over high heat, as this rapid temperature change is the primary cause of curdling. Patience and a double boiler are your best friends for perfectly reheated lemon cream sauce.
This easy and incredibly delicious Panko Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce recipe truly stands out, making it an ideal choice for both a quick, satisfying weeknight dinner and an elegant meal when entertaining. The irresistible crunch of the crispy chicken, perfectly contrasted by the velvety, bright lemon sauce, creates a symphony of flavors and textures that will undoubtedly have your taste buds dancing with delight. Prepare to add this impressive yet approachable dish to your regular rotation, and savor every gourmet bite.
Explore More Easy Chicken Recipes:
If you loved this recipe and are looking for more simple yet flavorful chicken dishes, be sure to check out some of our other favorites:
- Easy Asian Orange Chicken
- Italian Dressing Chicken
- Thai Peanut Sauce Noodles and Chicken
- Garlic Butter Chicken
- Easy Honey Baked Chicken
- Grilled Hawaiian Chicken
- Quick and Easy Cornflake Ranch Chicken
- Easy Teriyaki Chicken
Panko Crusted Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Panko Chicken
- 1 Egg, slightly beaten
- 1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Fresh Black Pepper
- 1 ½ Cups Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 Lemon, zested
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
- 2 Large Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil
- Unsalted Butter
Lemon Cream Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Better than Bouillion, roasted chicken flavor
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoon White Wine
- 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
- 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
- 1 Pinch Fresh Black Pepper
- 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
Instructions
Make the Panko Chicken:
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Place the egg in a shallow dish.1 Egg
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In another shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper.1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1/4 teaspoon Fresh Black Pepper
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In a third shallow dish, combine the panko, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese.1 ½ Cups Panko Breadcrumbs, 1/2 Lemon, 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
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Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap or in a ziploc bag and pound to 1/4 inch thick.2 Large Chicken Breasts
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Remove the breasts and slice them diagonally to create 4 chicken cutlets instead of 2.
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Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter.Olive Oil
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Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg, and finally press firmly into the panko mixture until fully coated.
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Add two breaded chicken cutlets at a time to the hot skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Add more oil and butter to the pan as needed for remaining batches.Unsalted Butter, Olive Oil
Make the Lemon Cream Sauce:
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Meanwhile, heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter and concentrated bouillon.1 Tablespoon Better than Bouillion, 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
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As the two begin to melt, add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.1 Clove Garlic
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Add the flour and whisk vigorously. The mixture will clump together. Continue whisking for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
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Quickly add the white wine, then immediately stir in the heavy cream.2 Tablespoon White Wine, 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
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Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.1 Pinch Kosher Salt, 1 Pinch Fresh Black Pepper
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Whisk for a minute, then reduce heat to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.
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Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Continue to whisk until everything is thoroughly incorporated and the sauce is smooth.1 Lemon
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Serve immediately over the crispy panko chicken, alongside your favorite sides such as asparagus, creamy mashed potatoes, or roasted fingerling potatoes.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
