Lemon Chicken and Asparagus

This one-pan dinner is easy, colorful, healthy, ready, ready in 20 minutes AND cooked in one pan. And, the ingredients list is small too.

What's not to like?

While this recipe "technically" has a few more than 5 ingredients, the only ones you may need to buy for this meal are chicken, asparagus, lemons, and lemon pepper seasoning. Most likely you already have butter, flour, salt, pepper, honey in your pantry and fridge.

Lemon Chicken & Asparagus

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ C flour (or less)
• ½ tsp salt, pepper to taste
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 1-2 C chopped asparagus
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 2 TBSP honey + 2 TBSP butter (optional)
• parsley for topping (optional)

1. Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound until each piece is about ¾ of an inch thick. (If chicken breasts are thick, cut in half horizontally to make thinner pieces.) 
2. Put flour and salt and pepper in shallow dish then gently coat each chicken breast. Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat; add chicken and sauté for 3-5 minutes each side, until golden brown, sprinkling each side with lemon pepper directly in pan. When chicken is golden brown and cooked through, transfer to plate.
3. Add chopped asparagus to pan. Sauté few minutes until bright green and tender crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Lay lemon slices flat on bottom of pan and cook for few minutes each side without stir so they caramelize and pick up browned bits left in pan from chicken and butter. (Hint: adding some butter in with lemons helps prevent sticking and promotes browning.) Remove lemons from pan and set aside.
4. Layer ingredients back into skillet - asparagus, chicken, and lemon slices on top. FYI - lemons will be bitter when caramelized. You can use as a garnish or eat them if you like.

To make a honey butter sauce, melt additional butter and honey in hot pan after caramelizing lemons, and pour over chicken. 

This dish would go well with a side of wild rice, which we didn't add in this meal as we're minding our carb intake . . . but next time.

Grenville rated this one 2 forks.