Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe

Lemon pepper chicken is a popular entrée of lean cutlets dredged in a lemon-pepper-flavored flour mixture and pan-fried on the stovetop until golden brown. Serve this flavorful chicken entrée with classic side dishes like roast veggies and mashed potatoes, or on top of a salad, rice dish, or pasta for a satisfying weeknight dinner.

Follow these tips to execute this easy recipe any night of the week.

1. 1. Use the right cut of chicken. The best cuts of chicken for this stovetop recipe are thin, boneless cuts, such as tenders, cutlets, or chicken thighs and breasts. Pound your cutlets with a meat cleaver before dredging them in flour, which will help thin them out. Avoid using thick or bone-in portions of chicken, which could result in unevenly cooked meat.
2. 2. Adjust the seasoning. Check the ingredients of your lemon pepper seasoning before adding additional salt to your breading mix. Some lemon pepper seasonings include salt, while others don’t. Adjust the salt depending on the seasoning you have on hand.
3. 3. Experiment with additions. Adapt a lemon pepper chicken recipe to suit your palate. For a gluten-free dish, swap the all-purpose flour in the flour dredge for gluten-free all-purpose flour, almond flour, or another alternative flour option. Substitute butter, ghee, vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil for the olive oil. Add additional spices to your breading—like cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes—for extra flavor. Finish the chicken with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, or lemon slices to reinforce the citrus flavor.