You will swoon over the tangy lemon sauce in this Keto Lemon Chicken. With a hefty kick of pepper, the sauce delivers just the right amount of punch. It looks a touch fancy but comes together in a flash! Great for entertaining…or Tuesday night. Serve this Keto Lemon Pepper Chicken with a simple green salad for a complete meal!
Keto Lemon Chicken is one of those recipes that you can throw together on a weeknight, but it is tasty enough to serve for a special occasion.
You will fall in love with this creamy lemon sauce! You can adjust the amount of lemon to your personal taste, just be aware that more lemon means more carbs.
For an extra punch of lemon flavor without the extra carbs, add in a touch of lemon extract.
I like to double the sauce recipe because it is fabulous drizzled on everything from cauliflower rice to eggs.
All you need to make it a meal is a simple green side! We love this with keto asparagus, keto Brussels sprouts or an avocado arugula salad.
Simple Ingredients
Can I make this in the Instant Pot?
Yes - you sure can. Make sure you check out the Instant Pot Instructions down below, because they are different.
Can I use chicken thighs? What about skin on chicken?
Absolutely - either white or dark meat chicken works. (Dark meat is considered more Keto-Friendly.) Skin on boneless chicken (if you can find it) will work beautifully here and render a crisp crust that can't be beat.
Variations for this Recipe
- For an even richer sauce, add in 2 tablespoons of butter.
- To make Keto Lemon Garlic Chicken, at 1 teaspoon of minced garlic to the pan when you deglaze it.
- Add 3 tablespoons of rinsed and drained capers after the pan is deglazed.
How to Make Keto Lemon Chicken
Note: If you want to make this in your Instant Pot, check the recipe card below for full details.
This section is step by step instructions for those of you who are visual. Please see below for the full recipe with measurements.
Creamy Keto Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil if making on the stovetop, olive oil works
- 2 tablespoons white wine or chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Parsley oregano, or thyme - for garnish
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract optional
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally and pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet.
- In a shallow bowl, combine flour, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off the excess.
Stovetop
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add oil.
- Add chicken to the pan and cook until a deep golden brown, about 7 minutes per side.
- Remove from the pan and tent to cover.
- Add wine or chicken broth to the skillet and deglaze the pan.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and heavy cream to the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add lemon extract for a more vibrant lemony flavor.
- Return the chicken to the pan to coat with the sauce.
- Serve with lemon slices.
Instant Pot
- Set your Instant Pot to medium-saute and add the oil. (You may want to use a little extra oil - the instant pot tends to stick with almond flour.) Once the Instant Pot is preheated, add the chicken. Cook until lightly brown, about 1- 2 minutes per side.
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot.
- Add the wine or broth to the pot, and scrape the bottom to make sure all of the brown bits are up. Make sure you get everything up - otherwise you may deal with the dreaded burn message.
- Hit cancel.
- Add the lemon juice, zest, and heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the trivet to the pot.
- Arrange the chicken on top of the trivet. Seal the pot and set to high pressure for 2 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, and then do an instant release.
- Serve with lemon slices.
Barbara D says
I just tried this recipe tonight for birthday dinner for my daughter in law and it was delicious! She loved it and so did my 9 year old grandson!
Marc L. Filippone says
Made it tonight, it was quite a bit of prep and cleanup, but man, it was worth it!
Wendy Polisi says
So glad that you enjoyed it!
Cheryl Fuller says
Delicious and easy to make. So flavorful. I think I may have overcooked the chicken. It was a little dry. But loved it
Delilah says
I made it tonight and it's very delicious, a bit lemony so next time I will cut out the zest. I added chopped mushrooms, garlic and onions and tarragon. Over cauliflower rice, it's fabulous!
Callie Frey says
This was fantastic!!! I added capers. I'm contemplating doing it for a white fish.
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad you enjoyed it! The flavors would be great with fish as well.
Laura G says
This is amazing! If you like lemon, you'll love this. Is there such a thing as too much lemon? I don't think so. The sauce is a keeper.
I will have to check out your other recipes if this is the caliber of your content.
Happy New Year!
Wendy Polisi says
YAY! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Happy New Year to you too!
Mary Schreiber says
I can't wait to make this. I'm a new owner of an Instant Pot and having fun learning about it.
If you want more lemon but fewer carbs, I suggest using True Lemon. It is a product from TrueCitrus.com,, who also makes True Lime, Grapefruit, Orange and some others. They crystallize the fruit, and each serving is <1 carb per serving (1/4 tsp). I use it in many drinks and recipes especially when I don't want to let some fruit go to waste. I'm going to use this to increase the flavor. It's great in drinks too!
Christa says
Excellent recipe. Both keto and non-keto members of my household love this one. It's a keeper!
Thank you!
Ps. I make this with 1/2 cup of cream and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Still very good.
CV says
Do you also have a recipe for Lemon Chicken for people who do not have an Instant Pot?
Wendy Polisi says
This recipe has stovetop instructions too - in fact, that it how it was originally made and photographed.
Sally says
Delicious! I made this for dinner tonight in the Instant Pot. I did not include the lemon zest and it was still very tasty. The chicken was very moist. This is a keeper recipe. The family loved it.
Wendy S says
VERY flavorful and yummy! I threw a bag of baby spinach into the sauce to cook at the end, and the lemon sauce paired perfectly with the spinach. Will definitely make again.
Wendy Polisi says
So glad you liked it. Love, love the addition of spinach. I am so trying that.
Monique says
Haven't had lemon chicken in ages, but this is absolutely delicious and I will make it again and again! It is to die for!!
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad you liked it.
Barbara says
Just made this for dinner! It was delicious. I upped the amount of lemon juice and added capers. Paired with green beans and chardonay- perfect! Easy to make too.
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad you enjoyed it. I love the addition of capers.
Belinda says
I was only looking up a keto lemon sauce and I came upon this lemon chicken recipe! IMy husband LOVED the lemon chicken (my son and I did too) and is still bragging about it this morning. It will be on our weekly menu for sure!
Thank you! ❤️
Diane Price says
Best Keto Chicken Recipe!
We made this tonight with roasted asparagus. Talk about wanting to lick the plate! This was wonderful, and also made a great sauce for the asaparagus. Will make again and again. Keto is so easy with recipes like this! Thank you for sharing!
Wendy Polisi says
So glad you all enjoyed it.
C Dukett says
Made this tonight. My 2 favorite things together, chicken and lemon. Absolutely loved this, husband and son did too
Cheryl says
This was amazing!! My husband and I loved it! Thank you!
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad you both enjoyed it!
DIANA EISENBART says
All the recipes look great. I wondered do you have a cookbook, and how can I order one?
Wendy Polisi says
Hi Diana, I have five cookbooks, two of which are low/carb and keto. You can get them on Amazon.
maryellen says
soon as I saw lemon juice and half and half, I thought oh oh it will curdle, and it did
Wendy Polisi says
If you substitute half and half in the recipe, it will likely curdle. The recipe calls for heavy cream, which is about 40% milkfat. It is thicker than half and half, and the high fat content means it won't curdle when heated.
Sarah Pearson says
Omg this was amazing and full of flavor will make again for sure!