I hope that you're enjoying all of these simple recipes while you wind down from the holiday hoopla!  I'm starting to think that 5 Ingredient Recipes need to become regulars around here. The only thing better than amazing food is amazing food that is cheap and easy to make, after all.
This recipe is actually my mom's-- a recipe my family has been devouring for about 2 decades, and one that my cousins, aunts, and friends have begged for.  With just 5 simple ingredients, this Breaded Lemon Chicken comes together to be crisp, tender, and bright.  Thank you, Mom, for finally relenting and letting me share this with the world.
To make 5 Ingredient Breaded Lemon Chicken, you basically do what you would do for any breaded chicken cutlet-- pound it thin, bread it, and fry it, except instead of using egg to get the breadcrumb to stick, you use lemon juice. Â Believe it or not, the lemon juice does a great job of keeping the breadcrumb intact, and the acid helps your chicken stay soft and juicy inside when you pan fry it. Â Not to mention, the citrus brings a whole new dimension of flavor to the chicken!
Give this recipe a go and it just might become your go-to work week dinner!
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5 Ingredient Breaded Lemon Chicken
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- â…“ cup lemon juice (fresh is best, but bottled is fine, too)
- 1 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil, to pan fry
- Lemon pepper, to taste
- Parsley and/or lemon, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally, so that you get 4 thin chicken breast pieces. Put down about a foot of plastic wrap on the counter top and lay the chicken pieces on it. Cover with an additional piece of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to evenly pound out the chicken breasts until about ¼" thick.
- Heat ¼" of vegetable oil in a large, high-walled pan over medium.
- In a shallow bowl, pour or squeeze in the lemon juice. In a separate shallow bowl, add in the breadcrumbs. Dip each chicken breast slice, one at a time, into the lemon juice and let sit for 2 minutes. Turn over and let sit for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to the breadcrumbs and press gently to help the breadcrumbs adhere to each side. Set aside. Continue until all of the chicken is breaded.
- Add 2 of the breaded chicken breasts to the oil and sprinkle liberally with lemon pepper. You want to make sure there is ample room between the chicken breasts, because overcrowding the pan results in soggy chicken. Fry until dark golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, carefully turn the chicken. Sprinkle with additional lemon pepper, and continue to pan fry for 4 more minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined sheet and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and slices of lemon, and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
Millie l Add A Little says
Only 5 ingredients?! I'm making this ASAP!
Megan says
all of my breading came off in the skillet.
:(((((
Morgan says
Oh no!!! If I had to guess, I'd say your oil was likely not hot enough when you added the chicken, which caused the breading to absorb too much of it, and slough off when moved. I've made that mistake before (not with this recipe, but with others). Do you think that might have been the issue?
Megan says
yeah that's definitely possible. thank you!! I love your website I use it almost every day
emily says
this happened to me before. you should always dredge the chicken in egg and flour before tossing in bread crumbs!
Jenna says
Never thought of using lemon juice instead of eggs to coat the chicken. Looks good!
Keira says
Nutrition information?
Britt says
I made this tonight to a T except with 2 large tilapia filets instead of chicken breast. It was sooooo good!!! My husband said it was the best fish he ever ate! The tip about the lemon juice helping the breadcrumbs stick is right. They didn't fall off at all. Made for a beautiful presentation. My only critique is this: 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs is far too much for 2 chicken breasts (or in my case 2 large fish filets). I think I threw a cup of bread crumbs away. Next (and there will be a next time) I will only use half a cup.
Maggie says
You can save your bread crumbs by freezing them. Just mark what you dipped in them so you do not cross contaminate.....like chicken, fish, etc
Courtney says
I made this tonight- it was delicious, and so easy! Will definitely be making it again soon!
Amy says
Would this work in an airfryer?
Kyle says
I'm making this now, I've had the chicken breads fileted and marinated in lemon juice all day. Now to just put in bread crumbs and cook, along with sautéed green beans and buttery mashed potatoes
Crystal says
How much oil has to be in the pan? I have never fried anything before. Does it just have to cover half the chicken?
Vicki says
This was delicious and sophisticated. Enjoyed it very much.
Elena says
Can it still taste good if I don't want the breadcrumbs? I don't have any
Kristen @ Joyfully Thriving says
Looks delicious, and I love 5 ingredient recipes! I included this recipe in a massive 5 ingredient round-up on my blog. Thanks for sharing!
Vernon says
My wife and I try to avoid fried foods when possible, but I do want to try this recipe. It sounds delicious. Is it possible to make this recipe and bake the chicken instead of frying it and have it come out good also?
Morgan says
I've never tried baking it, but if you do, please let me know how it goes!
Sharon says
What is seasoned breadcrumbs and lemon pepper ? Can u please explain coz I want to try out this dish
Gabriel Pacheco says
Seasoned breadcrumbs are simply breadcrumbs with some salt and pepper. Hence the name seasoned breadcrumbs! Hope it turns out nicely for you.
Linda says
I too had about a cup of breadcrumbs left over, did not think to freeze it. This was delicious, hubby said chicken had great flavor and ate two servings. I might try this with fish because the lemon and seasonings would be perfect however for the most part I avoid frying (used a combination of olive oil and coconut oil) due to the fat and the mess! Would love to know how baking instead turned out.
Thank you for the simple recipes!
Cynthia Alaniz says
I want to try this in my air fryer. I make several dishes that call for frying in oil in the air fryer and they turn out delicious.,
Kate says
One more person who would like a baked version of this recipe. Thx.
gail shawe says
can you make this hours ahead and re-warm in an oven? I'd like to serve a large number of guests.
Morgan says
I've never tried to-- I'd recommend doing a test batch first just to make sure that the texture is alright!
Denise says
Did you put chopped parsley with the seasoned breadcrumb? If not, what are the green bits in the photo before frying?
Morgan says
My seasoned breadcrumbs include parsley, but you don't have to include it!
plunge pools says
Amazing!
Webexpertdelhi says
I’ve never tried to– I’d recommend doing a test batch first just to make sure that the texture is alright!
Darren Stevens says
My mom made this for us all of our lives (50+ years). Only the missing step in the breading here is the flour. So, flour, lemon juice, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. Bake. I used Italian seasoned panko and baked in a convection oven for 30 mins at 350°. Skin-on chicken pieces that have been brined for 24 hours and no need for oil, I imagine the flavor from this page's recipe is very similar and one of the best ways to enjoy a chicken dinner. Brava! Didn't think I'd ever see this on the internet.
Randy Fritzshall says
My family eats chicken breasts at least twice a week. I am always looking for new ways to do things. This looks like a dandy and I will use it this weekend.
Beverly Delahunty says
This recipe is delicious. My family loved it.
Charlie says
Love this recipe! It's delicious and great for weeknights.
Nancy R. says
Really tasty!...
Second batch burnt a little though... maybe not enough oil or oil temp too hot or not hot enough?
Ilana SY says
I think that I may not have had the oil warm enough as all of the breadcrumbs fell off. It was still delicious though. Is there a version where it can be baked instead? Do you have a recommendation for temperature and time?
Stephanie B says
A new family favorite as well… thank you for sharing it’s so flavorful, juicy, and delicious
Brett says
Followed the recipe closely and the panko just did not stick at all. I was very careful taking the chicken off of the pan but the coating just kept falling off. I think I'll stick with the egg/flour combo for breading.
Morgan says
So sorry to hear that it didn't turn out as expected Brett! For this recipe, you are best served using traditional seasoned breadcrumbs rather than panko-- panko is larger and therefore it needs a bit more support to adhere. Thank you for bringing the fact that that might be unclear in the recipe to my attention so I can make a note of it in the recipe when I update it.