American
Lemon Chicken and Asparagus
Chicken cutlets and asparagus share a skillet with lemon and garlic. Olive oil is the fat, so the pan sauce stays light.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- One skillet.
- Lemon and garlic are the sauce.
- Asparagus cooks in the same pan.
- It is high protein and lower carb.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Season the cutlets with salt and pepper.
- 2
Sear them in the oil over medium-high until golden and 165°F, about 3 minutes per side. Move them out.
- 3
Add the asparagus. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until bright and tender-crisp.
- 4
Add the garlic for 20 seconds.
- 5
Add the lemon juice and zest. Toss.
- 6
Return the chicken for 30 seconds and serve.
Pro tips
- Dry the cutlets or they will not brown.
- Asparagus goes from crisp to army green fast. Pull it while it is still bright.
- Lemon juice in a hot pan reduces quickly. Do not walk away.
Easy substitutions
- Cutlets
- Thin pork cutlets, cooked to 145°F
- Asparagus
- Green beans
- Olive oil
- Another teaspoon if the pan looks dry, not butter, so it stays dairy-free
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm gently in a skillet. Do not recook the chicken hard.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Lower-Carb, High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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