One Pan Lemon Chicken with braised asparagus in a simple lemon mustard sauce. Gluten Free + Whole30 + Paleo
Ok so first things first – how was your weekend? Do anything fun? Now that the weather here is starting to brighten up a touch I’ve been trying to take advantage of every opportunity to go outside and just soak up some vitamin D. It’s amazing what a little sunlight and fresh air can do for my mood. I just need to make sure I remember that when I’m feeling like a hermit and don’t want to leave the house.
Yesterday I also took advantage of the partially sunny weather by trying my hand at making a stop motion video. I need more practice, for sure, but it was so much fun to make! I just need to figure out a way to control the light better. Ya girl’s struggling to keep up with those damn clouds.
But anyway – onto the recipe!
I’ve made this chicken for Mike soooo many times this week. While I usually don’t like making the same thing for dinner too often, I don’t mind making this because it’s just so easy.
This Lemon Chicken Dish Is
√ Quick & easy
√ Made in one pan
√ Using wholesome ingredients
√ None of which are weird
√ With fresh & bright flavours
Perfect!
I know how much you guys like easy chicken dishes so I had to share another one but this time with lemon & asparagus as the main stars. It just feels so very much like a spring time dinner to me – it had to be done!
The method here is simple enough: coat your chicken in light flour batter. You can use a regular gluten free flour or tapioca/arrowroot if you’re looking for a grain free, paleo option that’s also Whole30 compliant.
After you brown the chicken on both sides, you quickly braise the asparagus in the pan along with a little garlic, stock, lemon juice and mustard. Once the sauce reduces down you simply add the chicken back to the pan, sprinkle with some parsley for added freshness and you’re done! All done in less than 30 minutes and in one pan.
Serve the lemon chicken & asparagus over a bed of rice/cauliflower rice to soak up all the saucy goodness and enjoy! Bright and punchy lemon garlic flavours with a tangy, Â mustard bite – what’s not to love? And with minimal clean up too!
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One Pan Lemon Chicken with Asparagus
One Pan Lemon Chicken with braised asparagus in a simple lemon mustard sauce. Gluten Free + Whole 30 + Paleo Option
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour for paleo or plain gluten free flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 1 pound asparagus stalks, ends trimmed and then cut in half
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 zest of lemon
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup chicken stock, aim for a lower sodium stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped + more for garnishing
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic cling wrap and pound them down to make them even in thickness. This will help the chicken cook evenly and make for more tender chicken. If your breasts are extra thick you can also just cut/slice them in half.
- Place the flour, salt & pepper in a shallow dish and gently toss the chicken breasts to coat in flour.
- In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bring to a medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the chicken to the skillet and cook each side for about 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Once cooked remove the chicken and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside while you cook the asparagus.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet. Add the asparagus stalks and sauté for a minute. Add the garlic and sauté another minute longer until fragrant.
- In a small bowl or cup whisk together the lemon juice and mustard until fully mixed. Pour into the skillet with the asparagus along with the chicken stock and the zest. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce down to a simmer. Cover and let cook another 3-4 minutes or until the asparagus is tender.
- Stir in the parsley and then add the chicken back to the pan and rotate the breasts to coat in the liquids. Taste the sauce and season with more salt & pepper as needed.
Cathy says
Fabulous meal!! I served it with acorn squas.
Sarah Nevins says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it – thanks Cathy 🙂
Lisa says
I wanted to love this but we just did not. The breading was awful… soggy… not enough flavor for the chicken. The sauce was too sour. Not sure if I did something wrong there. Very disappointed.
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Lisa – Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this as much but I still appreciate the feedback! The sogginess on the breading sounds like it could have been a temperature issue. If the pan/oil isn’t hot enough before adding the chicken the coating won’t crisp up as it normally should. As for the flavour this could just be a personal preference thing. Lemons can get more sour over time which could have an impact on the acidity here, but it might just be that this recipe is too lemon heavy for your tastes.
Lynne McCurdy says
Easy to ketofy this (someone mentioned earlier). Use Pecan flour, or coconut flour, to coat the chicken. A bit of xanthan gum to thicken the sauce. Now I have to get asparagus. I can’t wait to try this!
Sarah Nevins says
I’m really loving the idea of using pecan flour to coat this! Thanks Lynn!
Maria Mullally says
Did you use a cast iron pan or just a frying pan?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Maria! I’ve used both cast iron & a stainless steel frying pan to make this
Laurilyn says
Absolutely delicious – all four of my girls liked it as well which is a huge win (almost never happens). Day 21 of the Whole30 and my favorite recipe by far. This will become a repeat in our dinner repertoire!
Sarah Nevins says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to hear that! Good luck on the rest of your whole30 – not that you need it!
Amanda Peseski says
How much longer do you leave the chicken on the last step?
Sarah says
Only a minute or so – since it’s already cooked through the first time around you just need to add it back in to coat it in sauce and heat it up slightly in case it’s gotten a little cold while set aside
Jana says
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! Easy, delicious and healthy. Thanks for sharing. I will be making this dish often!
Sarah says
Thanks so much for coming back to let me know what you thought – thanks Jana!
Kristine says
Hi I was hoping to serve with angel hair pasta, do you have a recommendation for say, doubling the sauce? Thanks!
Sarah says
Hi Kristine! I’d recommend just adding an additional 1/2 cup chicken stock (so 1 1/2 cup altogether) to make more sauce and letting it reduce down a little longer than you normally would. I think doubling all of it might make too much and be a bit overwhelming for the pasta.
Pete says
A great idea as where I live I have so far only found three types of GF pasta that actually taste and cook like the ‘real thing ‘
… And angel hair is one of them!
Cheers,
Pete
Sarah Nevins says
Ooh good! I can relate to the struggle of finding good gluten free pasta – it’s so nice when you can find one that feels like the real thing!
Anna says
Would you recommend replacing the oil with ghee if trying to go the whole30 route?
Sarah says
You can do that if you like!
MaiahLin says
Made this dish a couple of nights ago, it was yummy and super easy. My husband and my 5-year boy old loved it. The five year old said “the green stuff was good” –what a win!
Sarah says
Ha! I love hearing that 🙂 So glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know what you thought!
Nikki says
Tried this tonight and it is SO good!!! Family including 2 kids ages 4 and 2 and my big kid aka husband, LOVED it. I used potato starch as a substitute for flour and it makes the chicken so crisp and juicy. I also added a title ghee at the end. Placed over a cauliflower mash and boy oh boy was it delicious. I highly recommend this super simple, super delicious recipe! Great week night one. Easily a Whole 30/Paleo recipe. Could be Keto as well, I believe… Not as familiar with Keto… Thank you so much!!
Sarah says
Ooh now you’ve got me thinking about cauliflower mash with ghee! *drool* So happy to hear you and your family enjoyed it! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know how it went!