This Creamy Lemon Rosemary Chicken is a family favorite and an easy weeknight meal. The sauce is made with a cashew cream that’s spiked with lemon juice and rosemary. It’s full of flavor and pairs really well with some roasted vegetables on the side. Find the easy recipe below and I hope you enjoy this delicious creamy chicken.
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Let the cooking begin!
The steps:
- *If you’re going to serve this chicken with a side of roasted vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, make sure to get those in the oven before starting the chicken.*
- You’ll start this recipe by cooking your chicken in a large skillet. I like to use my 12in cast iron pan for this, but any large skillet will do.
- Season the chicken when you put it on the pan with some salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, but so yummy). Flip it and season the other side the same way.
- Make sure to flip the chicken on the skillet every few minutes, to avoid burning one side.
- While the chicken is cooking, you’re going to blend your creamy sauce by adding all of the sauce ingredients (cashews, seasonings, lemon juice, water, etc.) to a high powered blender and letting it mix until it’s very smooth.
- The chicken will be done when the internal temperature reaches at least 165F (74C). Check it with a meat thermometer, or slice it open to see if the juices run clear. There shouldn’t be any pink color.
- When the chicken is done, pour the creamy sauce on and around the chicken in the pan and let the sauce heat for a minute or two.
- Turn the heat off the stove, let it rest for about 5 minutes, and then serve. Enjoy!
Substitutions:
- There aren’t many things I would substitute in this recipe, but feel free to ask if you have questions.
- I have not tried this recipe with anything other than cashews, so I’m not sure if there is a substitute for those. You can try a sauce that will be runnier by using coconut cream, but the texture and flavor will be slightly different.
- Feel free to use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh squeezed lemons.
Recommended kitchen items:
- 12in Cast iron skillet. These are so versatile. They can go from the stovetop to the oven and are one of the cleanest cooking pans out there. I don’t have a link to the exact one I have, but here is a very similar one.
- Blendtec blender. This is one of my absolute favorite appliances in my kitchen.
- Stainless steel measuring utensils. The spoons are my favorite, because they fit in spice jars. I also love using stainless steel, instead of plastic.
- Food thermometer. We got this one from Home Depot and it has done it’s job just as we hoped it would. Digital food thermometers are great for cooking and baking more precisely.
- Silicone oven mitts. I love using silicone oven mitts, because they totally protect your hands, unlike the fabric ones I’ve used in the past. I use this set daily.
- Citrus juicer. This large capacity citrus juicer is great because it’s easy to squeeze and it fits large lemons and any size limes.
I hope you love this recipe, and would love to hear about how making it went for you! Share with me in the comments below, on Pinterest, or @whitsfoodfit on Instagram.
Creamy Lemon Rosemary Chicken
(Gluten free, Dairy free, Egg free, Soy free, Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil enough to lightly coat the pan
- 1½ lbs chicken breast
- salt, to taste
- 1-2 tsp garlic powder
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper on each chicken piece
Creamy Sauce
- 1½ cups cashews (unsalted)
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary (or 3 tbsp fresh)
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- 6 tbsp lemon juice (about 3 small lemons)
- 1½ cups water
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the chicken breast to the pan and season the top side with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Lightly coat each chicken breast with each seasoning, going very light on the cayenne pepper, or you can add more to your liking.
- Flip the chicken over and season with the same seasonings again.
- While the chicken is cooking, add all of your creamy sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until very smooth.
- The chicken will be done when the internal temperature reaches at least 165F (74C). Flip it every few minutes to avoid burning, and turn down the heat as necessary.
- When the chicken has finished cooking, pour the creamy sauce on and around the chicken in the pan. Let it warm up for a minute or two and then turn off the heat.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. My family loves eating this with a side of roasted sweet potatoes and asparagus, which you can roast in the oven while the chicken is cooking. Enjoy!
