Have you ever tasted a savory sauce that was so good you wanted to drink it…or at the very least…lick the plate? Well if you haven’t been fortunate enough to find that magic sauce yet, today is your lucky day because I am about to share with you my Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken and Asparagus recipe! My lemon pepper sauce that combines the silky smooth base of heavy cream and cream cheese with the delightful tang of lemon pepper drenches my pan-seared chicken breasts and roasted asparagus in a rich, bold flavor. Andddd…cleanup is a breeze with this one, as it’s made in one cast iron pan on the stovetop and then transferred to oven to bake up to perfection!
To make this dish, you are going to need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lemon pepper, salt, butter, one shallot, fresh garlic, cream cheese, heavy cream and asparagus.
To begin, preheat oven to 450˚F. Filet each chicken breast in half to produce 2 pieces approximately ¼ to ½ – inch thick. Generously season both sides of the chicken with 1-2 Tablespoons (or more to taste) of the lemon pepper and salt. Next, preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the butter. Once melted, pan-sear the chicken filets on each side for 3 minutes. Remove the chicken to a separate plate.
Combine the shallot and garlic in the butter remaining in the pan. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate and sauté until the shallot is translucent and the mixture is fragrant (add more butter if necessary). Add in the cream cheese, breaking it up in the pan to melt it down. Pour in the heavy cream and finish deglazing the pan by scraping down the sides and bottom. Stir in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of lemon pepper. Bring to a simmer and let the sauce reduce and thicken for about 10 minutes; stirring occasionally.
Once your sauce has thickened, turn the stove off and nestle each chicken breast in the sauce. You are going to want to spoon generous amounts of the sauce over each breast to make sure they are fully covered. Finally, sprinkle the asparagus segments on top of the chicken and then gently stir to coat and partially submerge them in the sauce. Transfer the pan to the oven.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and the asparagus is tender. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. This Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken and Asparagus is delicious with an array of side dishes, including baked potatoes, whipped potatoes, steamed white rice, and for a low-carb (or even Keto version) cauliflower rice.
Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken and Asparagus
6
servings30
minutes45
minutes545
kcalThis Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken and Asparagus is made in one cast iron skillet on the stove that gets transferred right to your oven to finish baking up to perfection. The creamy, tangy sauce in this dish is the perfect compliment to the juicy chicken and tender asparagus spears!
Ingredients
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2-3 Tablespoons lemon pepper, divided
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
4 Tablespoons butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese
3 cups heavy cream
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch segments
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 450˚F.
- Filet each chicken breast in half to produce 2 pieces approximately ¼ to ½ – inch thick. Generously season both sides of the chicken with 1-2 Tablespoons (or more to taste) of the lemon pepper and salt. Preheat large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the butter. Once melted, pan-sear the chicken filets on each side for 3 minutes. Remove the chicken to a separate plate.
- Combine the shallot and garlic in the butter remaining in the pan. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate and sauté until the shallot is translucent and the mixture is fragrant (add more butter if necessary). Add in the cream cheese, breaking it up in the pan to melt it down. Pour in the heavy cream and finish deglazing the pan by scraping down the sides and bottom. Stir in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of lemon pepper. Bring to a simmer and let the sauce reduce and thicken for about 10 minutes; stirring occasionally.
- Nestle the chicken in the sauce, making sure each filet is covered. Sprinkle the asparagus segments on top of the chicken and then gently stir to coat and partially submerge them in the sauce. Transfer the pan to the oven.
- Bake 15-20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and the asparagus is tender. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve over a bed of white rice or cauliflower rice (for a low carb version).
