Creamy Lemon and Herb Chicken with Asparagus

Everyone needs a quick and delicious chicken recipe and this one-pot creamy lemon and herb chicken with asparagus is mine. Chicken thighs get a quick sear along with some asparagus, then topped with a creamy lemon-herb sauce. The whole thing will be on the table in 30 minutes then serve with some crusty bread to sop up any leftover sauce. 

Equipment

Here's everything you need to make this one-pot creamy lemon and herb chicken at home: 

• 10" skillet, preferably cast iron
• tongs
• cheese grater
• chef's knife
• cutting board

Get the full instructions and ingredients list below!

Cooking Tips

1.  Trust the sear. By that I mean, stop flipping and let the chicken cook mostly on one side to get a nice sear before flipping. This will go a long way in building flavour for our sauce. 
2. Choose a seasonal veg. At the time of writing, asparagus season is in full-swing. But if you happen to be making this at a different time of year, feel free to reach for something more seasonal. In the try zucchini in summer, broccoli in fall, or mushrooms in winter. 
3. Crusty bread is not optional! I guess it is, but I highly, highly recommend it. Bonus points if you reach for something locally made with high-quality ingredients. You won't regret it!

Creamy Lemon and Herb Chicken

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 450 g asparagus about 1 bunch
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup parmesan
• 2 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh herbs like tarragon or basil
• ½ lemon
• olive oil
• cracked black pepper
• salt I'm using Diamond Crystal Kosher

Method

 

1. Transfer 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs to a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with 2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Trim the woody ends on 450g asparagus (see note) and cut into bite-sized pieces. Slice 2 garlic cloves and grate enough parmesan to fill ¼ cup, if you haven't already. Finally, juice half a lemon, yielding about 2 tablespoon total. The sauce will come together quickly so you'll want to have all the ingredients prepped in advance.
2. Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large 10" skillet, preferably cast iron, on medium. Just before the pan starts smoking, add seasoned chicken thighs, top-down, and cook on medium-high until a nice sear forms, about 5-8 minutes. Flip and finish cooking on the other side. You want an internal temperature of 155°F-165°F. Remove the chicken and let rest on a clean plate.
3. Add asparagus to the pan and deglaze with ¼ cup water. Cook on medium until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked asparagus to the plate with the chicken.
4. Back in the pan add 2 tablespoon butter and cook on medium until foaming. Add sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn heat to low and add ½ cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ cup parmesan and whisk until evenly incorporated and slightly thickened — it should coat the back of a spoon. Season with cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust.
5. Add asparagus and chicken back in, along with any juices on the plate, and top with 2 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Notes

To trim the woody ends of your asparagus, take 1 stalk from the bunch and use two hands to flex the bottom-third. Where it naturally breaks is where the woody part ends and the tender stalk begins. Line this up with the rest of the bunch and slice to evenly trim all of the stalks.