It takes less than 30 minutes and just one pan to make this healthy creamy lemon garlic chicken with asparagus. It’s perfect for busy weeknights and is super flavorful and just 7g net carbs! The chicken and freshly cooked asparagus are surrounded with delicious lemon garlic cream sauce that’s absolutely incredible.
I’m a huge fan of chicken dishes because everyone tends to devour them. Plus, chicken is so easy to cook and tastes wonderful with all sorts of ingredients. I especially can’t get enough of this creamy garlic chicken because it’s a complete meal and you only need one pan. You could serve it with a salad or eat it by itself, and either way and you will feel fulfilled.
Once you taste this creamy lemon garlic parmesan chicken, you are going to want to keep this in your regular rotation. It even works well if you want to meal prep and have a simple lunch idea. Try it for yourself, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be hooked in no time.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CREAMY LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS
- Chicken Breasts: I love using boneless chicken breasts for this recipe because they are juicy, and the texture is great. If you want, you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead.
- Asparagus: You get so many nutrients from adding asparagus, and you don’t have to dirty a second dish. Win-win!
- Heavy Cream: As you can imagine, the creamy sauce is so rich and amazing due to the heavy cream. It makes it taste like it was made in a restaurant instead of at home!
- Italian Seasoning: You just need a couple of teaspoons of Italian seasoning, and it enhances this already tasty dish.
- Salt & Pepper: Just use as much salt and pepper as you prefer.
- Olive Oil: I love cooking with olive oil when making chicken recipes. You can choose to go with another oil if you’d rather.
- Butter: Typically, I reach for unsalted butter and add in my own salt. It’s okay to use salted butter if that is all you have, but you probably won’t need to add much salt to the chicken.
- Onion: Minced onion adds flavor and depth to the garlic chicken. Yum!
- Garlic: Mince up anywhere from 3 or 4 garlic cloves. It tastes incredible!
- Lemon: The lemon adds a fresh and zesty flavor to the cream sauce and compliments the garlic and cream very well. It’s actually optional but highly recommend!
- Parmesan Cheese: It’s completely optional to add parmesan. I rarely make it without because it just gives it that extra flavor boost.
HOW TO COOK CREAMY LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS
When you sink your teeth into this juicy, tender chicken, you won’t believe you can whip it up in less than 30 minutes, but it’s true! Begin by seasoning the chicken and cooking it until it’s done.
Take the cooked chicken out of the pan and set it aside and begin cooking the asparagus and onions in melted butter. Once they are tender add in the heavy cream, Lemon Juice, cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together and place the chicken back into the skillet. Simmer until the sauce is thick and add any extra salt and pepper you want. Serve hot and enjoy!
CAN I MAKE THIS CREAMY GARLIC CHICKEN FOR MEAL PREPPING?
Yes, you can easily make this as a meal prep option. Simply put one piece of chicken and divide the asparagus and sauce evenly in an airtight food container. The creamy chicken will last 3-4 days in the fridge.
To reheat, place the chicken and asparagus on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a paper towel. Warm it up for a few minutes until it’s hot all the way through. If you have access to a stove when you’re reheating, you can also warm it in a skillet on medium heat. No matter which method you choose, just warm it until it’s hot, so the chicken doesn’t dry out.
Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken with Asparagus (30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken breasts, (boneless, skinless)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp EACH crushed red pepper, salt, pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, (divided)
- 1 pound asparagus, (trimmed and cut in 3rds)
- 1/2 cup onion, (minced)
- 3-4 cloves garlic, (minced)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, (optional)
Instructions
- Season chicken with Italian seasoning, crushed chili pepper, salt & pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add butter onion, and asparagus to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender. Add the garlic and cook for just under a minute.
- Add heavy cream, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese; stir to combine. Return chicken to the pan and simmer 3-4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust salt & pepper if needed. If the sauce is too thick, add 1/4 cup water, chicken stock or broth.
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Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super easy! Will be also easily modified if desired. Basic sauce turned out great and quick!
I was skeptical but this is delicious. The seasoning mix for the chicken is a winner. Just make it.
I’ve been asked by my 3 boys (including my husband) to make this once a week. Super easy, little cleanup, full of flavor and everyone loved it. Definitely will be adding this to the weekly meals.
so delicious, my mom even went for seconds, which is rare lol! i added pasta, fusilli di pisa, which the sauce clung to beautifully!
Wow that’s great to hear! so happy you enjoyed the dish, Chloe 🙂
Delicious! Thank you for this awesome recipe 🙂
Absolutely delightful! I did add capers but prepared as written otherwise.
My sauce doesn’t thicken up. What do I need to do? The dish is very good, but I have to serve it in a soup bowl.
Did you use heavy cream?
Yes I do.
I’ve made this recipe so many times in the last couple of months. Honestly, it’s my favorite meal I make. I love all the flavors and it’s always a big hit. I add more cream and parmesan to make it more saucy. It’s amazing!
So happy to hear, thanks for the feedback!!
Easy & delicious!! Will make it again! I cut up my chicken to absorb the great sauce.
This was sooooo good! I used my coveted first picking of asparagus out of the garden and it was definitely a worthy recipe. I tossed in a can of artichoke hearts at the end, and, well anything that the sauce touched was golden!!! Everyone in my family loved it, even the 9 yr. old.
Tried telling my hubby that he needed to lose weight so he wouldn’t take seconds (just kidding). I can’t wait for my second picking of asparagus to make this again.
OMG! THIS WAS SO GOOD! DID AS AS WRITTEN EXCEPT ADDED LEMON PEPPER TOO! MY HUSBAND SAID ITS SO GOOD HE SHOULD COME SLAP ME! LOL, THANKS FOR THIS RECIPE! I TRIED TO UPLOAD A PICTURE BUT IDK WHAT IM DOING!
Delicious!! Easy recipe and has so much flavor. I followed the recipe exactly and served with baby redskins and the yummy sauce complimented perfectly. This recipe can be used with easy substitutions with broccoli, noodles, rice, and different protein too. My husband has many lunch and/or dinner meetings with this work and had ate out five times this week. He said, “hands down this was the best meal he had all week and was better than any restaurant”. YES! Saving this one! Thank you!
I made this tonight because we had some asparagus that needed to be used up. Oh my, it was so good! I followed the recipe as written, and will definitely make this again. Served with some homemade sourdough to soak up the extra sauce. Highly recommend!
I added 2/3 cup chicken broth and a 1/3 cup of white cooking wine and mmm. This recipe was a wonderful, thank you
Facepalm moment right at the end of making this recipe. No lemon in the fridge. UGH!! Thankfully the base was delicious already so I added a bit more salt, a tsp of red chili flakes and a pint of cherry tomatoes that I cut in half. My family devoured it!! They ate it over orzo cooked in chicken broth, I had a big serving of greens and mixed fresh veggies. I’ll be making this again! Thank-you for a great recipe!
Haha we’ve all been there! I’m sure it still tasted delicious!
Delicious! I used evaporated milk and it was great!
My adaptations – used olive oil instead of butter, and used about 1/2 cup of half and half and 1/2 cups of chicken broth instead of 1 cup of heavy cream. Also didn’t have lemon around so substituted lime and turned out amazing. added a little flour for thickening the sauce. thanks for the recipe inspiration!
So good that sauce is so yummy and love that it’s a one pan meal.
I do prefer Romano instead of parm and I used one pack of chicken tenders because that’s what I had thawed at the time.
It will be added to our winter rotation for sure!
I added 2 cans of whole New potatoes and some broth while making the sauce, 1 pan meal. It was fantastic. Not quite sure why I had the potatoes, but it worked.
Why does it say that the butter is divided? In the directions, I only see to add butter when adding asparagus. Next time, I’ll use less crushed red pepper (a little too spicy for me) and I’ll cut the asparagus and chicken into smaller pieces before cooking. Regardless, this was quite tasty!
I’ve made this recipe so many times now and LOVE it! I often make it with green beans instead of asparagus to make it more affordable. And I use vegan (oat) cream and vegan cheese to make it dairy free. Tonight I’m trying a new variety with salmon. I’ll let you know if it’s any good 🙂 THANK YOU for this beautiful recipe
Sorry, forgot to rate. Obviously, the score is 5 stars 🙂
Thanks for rating! <3
So easy and so delicious!! This will go in our rotation for meals as a quick go to.
Great, quick dinner! Also was tasty over rice for guests who are enjoying more carbs
Do you have a recommendations for using bone in -chicken thighs? I only have those and would love to make this tonight?
I believe you can, just be sure to cook the thighs until they reach 165F before adding them into the sauce. I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I intend to use boneless, skinless thighs.
Super easy and delicious! I served with linguini and crusty bread. So good. Thank you!
It actually does say to add with the asparagus and butter
I like to tenderize the chicken before coating it in seasoning and oil, i think it comes out a bit juicier that way. The receipt was great! Now if only asparagus didn’t stink up your pee so much, hehe
Great easy recipe but if you really want to taste all of the flavors use only one pepper. I agree that 1/3 cup of white wine and 1/2 chicken broth would elevate this dish.
I made it and it was delicious! I added mushrooms and served with risotto. The sauce was delicious!!
What can I use instead of cream I’m lactose
Super good and easy. I used 8 chicken tenders and sautéed mushrooms with the onions and asparagus. Also only had half a cup of heavy cream so added a little sour cream and milk. Also only had limes so i substituted that for the lemons. It came out perfect.
Great recipe! Added Herbs de Provance instead of Italian, also added a splash of Sherry while cooking onions asparagus and diced roasted red peppers for color! Didn’t have a lemon :/
Love love love this recipe will make it again, used sour cream instead of heavy cream because I didn’t have heavy cream it was still delicious!!! My husband loved it!! I will make it again.
I also used sour cream but found the sauce too think – will make it again but will add some full cream milk to make the sauce more fluid. It took much longer than 25 minutes to make though. A delicious recipe nonethesell
I added sun dried tomatoes and cooked everything much longer than what’s posted. Also didn’t add any salt since the cheese will give enough sodium Turned out pretty good
I didn’t have cream so used the old standard Mushroom soup with a little milk. It was delicious. I served mine with a pearl couscous. Thanks -this one’s a keeper. Next time cream will definitely be used!
Turned out great. So delicious! Served with creamy mashed potatoes.
I would at least steam or par-boil the asparagus first and then add it to the sauce. That way it won’t be damaged by stirring and after all, the asparagus contributes very little if any flavor to the sauce.
I was in a hurry, working mom. My husband likes chicken cooked thoroughly. I browned the chicken in an electric skillet, then put the onion in to cook with the asparagus, added eveything else, left the lid on for half of the time. More wak away and let it cook method. Still was an absolute super star of a meal. Served it with a loaf of panera bread tasted. Will 100% be making this agin.
Looks delicious and making it tonight!
Will follow up w results!
Made this tonight for my family user coconut milk full fat instead of heavy cream and it was delicious we did mash potatoes with it but next time I will
Be trying pasta so good thank you for sharing
Added the lemon and it curdled. Had to redo the sauce and wash off the asparagus lol Otherwise delicious
Wow, so much flavor packed into this sauce. Absolutely delicious, the chicken turned out so tender. The sauce is such a star, I want more more more! I plan to double the sauce ingredients next time so I can have more on the side- would be great with noodles or mashed potatoes, anything to showcase more of that sauce!
I just wanna say I made this and it is soooooo easy!! And soooooo delicious. I cook a lot of internet recipes. And usually they take a lot of steps. My picky eater kids loved it !! So thank you!! I thank God for helping me find your recipes. Also I’ve made your creamy taco soup and butter chicken. Again suuuuper easy and soooo delicious. Looking forward to making more easy delicious recipes for my family!!!
Made this tonight. Sooooo good. I’ll dream about that sauce. I made some Parmesan butter noodles for the kid’s side. Thank you for this.
I made this for the first time tonight. It is incredibly delicious and hubby loved it. The only changes I made were to pound the chicken breasts so they were uniformly about 1/2″ (4 minutes per side – done) and since I’m a cheeseaholic I used almost twice the amount of (freshly shredded) parmesan. Thank you so much for an easy, extremely tasty recipe that is definitely going to become a go-to from now on!
So freaking good! Made it exactly according to the recipe. Everyone loved it, had seconds and requested it be on the regular rotation. Thank you for sharing this!
This was so yummy! So easy and delicious.
I made some changes, because I wanted to use what I had on hand and I don’t do well will lots of dairy. I made a low-dairy version with almond milk and cornstarch instead of heavy cream. I added a spoon of danish feta instead of Parmesan, and leek instead of onion.
Would recommend!!
This came out absolutely perfect. I would suggest when you were cooking the chicken to cut the chicken in half so it cooks quicker so you don’t have to wait too long. I add a little bit of corn starch mixed with water to thicken up the heavy cream because Publix only has heavy whipping cream and I was not sure where to buy just heavy cream. But I make this for my boyfriend all the time because he is absolutely in love with it when i make it so thank you! I also add on the side of white rice and hollandaise sauce on top. It may sound weird but don’t knock it till you try it because it taste so amazing and the juice/sauce that you make is also great to put on top of rice if you don’t want to use hollandaise sauce.
Only takes 30minutes? Start by cooking chicken til it is done, which typically takes about 45 minutes.
If you cook it in the oven maybe?? In a skillet it will cook much quicker….as the instructions say.
Delicious! I always buy the thin asparagus, so did not need the parboil and it came out perfectly! I served it over some plain Jasmine rice so I could soak up all this yummy sauce. I also added some lemon zest to make it even a bit more lemony. Thanks for posting this!
This was incredible, I had to review. We are vegetarian so I used sweet earth chicken, air fried. I didn’t have heavy cream- simply mixed butter & Oat milk. I melted the butter, added onions, asparagus & let them mingle until asparagus was fork- tender. Added the heavy cream, garlic, cheese, lemon juice & let everything simmer & I also made basmati rice. This is definitely a keeper! I rarely finish my plate but this was so tasty & delicious, I couldn’t stop!! Thank you for such a wonderful easy recipe!! Always looking for quick tasty meals, especially during the work week & this is a winner!!!
I made this recipe last night, after a long day, and was really glad it was easy to make! It’s super delicious and I had all the ingredients on hand which is always a plus! Thank you for this wonderful dish!
I crusted the chicken with the Parmesan instead of adding it to the sauce. It was very good. Thank you.
This was yummy. Great recipe!!!
Yum!! I used half and half instead of cream. This is easy and flavorful! My family of 4 enjoyed it. Thank you!
Definite keeper!
I just made this recipe tonight and loved it ! I also made oven roasted fingerling potatoes and it perfectly paired with the dish! I will definitely make it often ! Thank you for the recipe!
Awesome. I followed the recipe and it came out perfect. The kids loved it.
Just made this tonight for my family and they LOVED it!!! I did what another reviewer suggested by adding a little extra cream, parmesan cheese and then placed the browned chicken , the sautéed asparagus, garlic and onion mixture , along with the cream and cheese in a large glass pan and cooked in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and it came out perfect!! So happy I read the reviews!! So many times I experiment with a new recipe on my family and they aren’t happy with the results. This they LOVED!! Thank you!
So happy to hear that, Donna!!
this sounds sooo delish! how can avoid curdling the heavy cream with the lemon juice? thanks!
It won’t curdle. Trust the process It’ll make a pseudo buttermilk and cream sauce.
I did this recipe yesterday. It was a hit! Thank you for your yummy and easy recipes.
I even told my keyo friends about your blog
Thank you for sharing <3
We really enjoyed. I didn’t have heavy cream so added cornstarch to milk and it worked just fine.
This is so wonderful!
Unbelievable. I usually screw up chicken, but it was perfect. So flavorful!
Layla, you’ve done it again: made my family rave about a keto meal! My 11 year-old-son, who is an incredibly picky eater, gave the best compliment. He said the chicken and sauce tasted like something from a fancy Italian restaurant we treat ourselves to a couple of times a year. My husband and I agree. Next time we are thinking of spending $$$ on a meal out, I’ll just whip up this dish. Thank you, thank you for these delicious and inspired keto-friendly recipes.
I made this the other night and it is SO GOOD! Even my kids loved it! The only change I made was adding more cheese (I’m a slight cheese-a-holic) 🙂 Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
This is amazing! Delicious, easy and tastes like high end restaurant recipe. Great recipe without any changes.
Made this tonight, it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!!!
Absolutely amazing!!! Easy and quick and taste divine!!
This recipe is delicious! It has simple ingredients and one of the few posts that are truly quick to pull together. This will easily be one of my go to meals.
What a great sauce!! So yummy, I am doubling it up next time, since I want plenty to serve this dish over pasta. I did change the recipe regarding the method of cooking: cut my chicken breasts in half, browned them in the pan according to the instructions but finished them in the oven at 400 for about 17 minutes, while cooking the asparagus in the oven as well, just for 15 minutes. It was not my intention to disregard the cooking instructions, it was just a force of habit since that is the way I usually cook both things. Great recipe, thanks!
very good
Delicous. Great recipe. Easy to follow and make in one fluid motion. I would 100% be making this again.
This recipe is easy and DELICIOUS!!! The only modifications I made were, I didn’t have heavy cream, so I melted 1/4 cup of butter and added 3/4 cup of milk to make “heavy cream”. I also had a blend of grated parmesan, romano and asiago cheese that used. I may have added way more cheese than called for, but I’m a huge cheese-aholic! This recipe is a keeper. 🙂
Absolutely a 5 stars recipe!!! Did not edit the recipe at all. My family loved it! Served with mashed potatoes, and it was a hit. They all want to try it again with pasta. Thank you for sharing!!! 😊
Thanks for the 5-star review, I’m your family enjoyed the dish, Melissa <3
Made this for me and my boyfriend tonight we both loved it soo much i used extra garlic,added some lemon pepper seasoning and alot of lemons i will definitely be making this again !
Omg this recipe is super easy & delicious!! First time making it and I’m surprised how good it was. It really didn’t take me long to make this meal! Served it with rice and it was so good! My boyfriend even loved it. He said that I need to make this recipe more often! My chicken breast was a little big so it took longer to cook, definitely will cut them into small pieces next time. I also added garlic powder and extra Parmesan cheese. Highly recommend this recipe!
Made it today and we loved it! I added a few slices of proscuitto in with the onions and it was AMAZING!! My husband and I both loved it!
I made this recipe tonight because the rest of my family wanted Italian food. I made them a pan of lasagna but I needed a low carb dish for myself. Everyone loved the chicken and they were eating MY chicken instead of the lasagna! Great recipe! Wouldn’t change a thing.
Can you cook this in a crockpot?
Wow. Just wow. So good! I hate when people in reviews say they love a recipe but then make a bunch of changes to the original recipe. I always make the original recipe then make changes. But this? No changes to make. So good. Thank you!
Oh my gosh! So easy to prepare and absolutely delicious! I, too, cut my chicken into chunks but put the raw meat in a ziplock bag with all those good seasonings and olive oil and made sure it was all coated well before cooking. This is the best recipe I’ve ever made from off the internet and will be making it again!
Can you use Greek yoghurt instead of double cream?
Delicious, I will most definitely be making this again. The recipe was very clear and easy to follow and the finished meal looked just like the photos!
I just made this dish and it is absolutely delicious. Very easy to make and did not take long at all.
Only thing I did different is I cut the chicken into chunks instead of leaving them whole.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I served it over pasta and my entire family loved it. The crushed red pepper gave a little bit of heat which was complimented by the flavor of lemon. We’ll definitely be making this again.
So glad you and your family enjoyed the dish, Annella! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
This is excellent, Love your recipes so much.
That means a lot to me, Irene! thanks for stopping by <3
Could you substitute the heavy cream with almond milk?
No. Then it would be Milky Lemon Chicken with Asparagus
Can you use half and half?
Yes, it should work but won’t be as creamy! Be sure to lower the heat when adding it to avoid curdling.
Omg i wish i knew… mine curdled 🙁 but still tasted delish
not enough fat in your cream, or too hot, did it boil? Add more fat, turn down the heat and whisk like mad and it can come back together.
Made this for dinner, except I didn’t have heavy cream, only had lactose free milk 2%. It came out delicious, used extra butter and really had to keep stirring it, plus needed a little corn starch to thicken. In other words, I made it work. This recipe was delicious, my honey likes asparagus and I don’t eat it ….till this recipe.
Thank you for this delicious recipe and I look forward to trying more. Peace and love to you.
This was very quick and tasty. I do not like limp asparagus, so my fault I followed the recipe and overcooked it. Mine did not thicken as I would have like either. Very good and with a couple of personal taste tweaks I am sure it will be perfect! Thanks for the recipe.
The texture would be off because almond milk is much lighter. I’d suggest maybe trying coconut cream.
if i don’t have heavy cream, could i use cream cheese? mixed with a little milk?
Yes, the cream cheese should work just be sure to whisk it well in order to break up the clumps!
Love these recipes with creamy sauce!
Can you substitute pork chops for the chicken?
Love your recipes
Thanks so much, sue! <3