Garlic Lemon Chicken with Green Beans
A delicious and easy-to-prepare dish featuring tender chicken breasts, fresh green beans, and a zesty lemon-garlic sauce, perfect for weeknight dinners or special gatherings.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 whole lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- to taste Salt
- to taste pepper
For the Green Beans
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed
Instructions
Preparation
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, ensuring each piece is well-coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the seasoned chicken breasts and cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet, allowing it to melt.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Toss in the trimmed green beans and sauté for 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the green beans, add lemon zest, and mix well.
- Return the chicken to the skillet to warm it back up and allow it to soak in the flavors for a minute.
- Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
To serve, place a chicken breast on a plate and add sautéed green beans beside it. This dish pairs nicely with rice or quinoa. For extra flavor, marinate the chicken in lemon juice, garlic, and herbs for a few hours before cooking. Ensure skillet is hot for a nice sear, and do not overcook the green beans; they should remain bright green and crisp. Optional: swap green beans for asparagus or broccoli, and experiment with herbs such as rosemary or basil.