Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta is the epitome of Spring time food – light, tangy, and a burst of freshness in every bite! It also is an easy recipe for the perfect weeknight dinner because you can get everything ready under 30 minutes!
What you are looking at: al-dente linguini noodles tossed in buttery lemon garlic cream sauce that happens to also be light and not overly heavy, combined with juicy chicken and loads of fresh parmesan. it is so delicious!
Lemon Chicken Pasta In Cream Sauce
This Lemon Chicken Pasta is very much like a light Lemon Alfredo Chicken Pasta. Linguini is tossed in a cream based sauce that is fairly light and bursting with bright flavors of lemon. It is one of my favorite summer pasta recipes.
If you have been around here a lot, our creamy lemon chicken pasta might remind you of this reader favorite Lemon Garlic Parmesan Pasta.
Think of creamy lemon chicken pasta as the creamier, more hearty version of the previous lemon pasta dish. It has the added touch of cream (half and half, to be exact) and juicy seasoned chicken pieces tossed along with it.
Since we used half and half, and incorporated bursts of lemon flavors into it, it is considered a lighter cream version than a traditional Alfredo sauce or creamy sauce.
I can go on and on about why we are loving this, but to keep it short and sweet, here are all the other amazing things you need to know about this lemon chicken pasta goodness.
- Amazing combination of creamy, savory, and tangy, along with the beautiful combination of juicy seasoned chicken (yes, there is actually flavor in the chicken!) and al dente pasta.
- Requires only a few pantry-friendly ingredients. In other words, easy peasy!
- Ready under 30 minutes. Again…easy peasy!
- Can be made ahead and heat as leftovers for a quick meal
- Perfect for meal prep
- Did I say delicious? ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.
Ingredients
This delicious lemon chicken pasta recipe requires only simple, straight-forward ingredients:
- Linguine pasta: I like long pasta for my creamy lemon chicken pasta. Other types such as fettuccine, spaghetti, angel hair etc. work great as well.
- Lemons: we’re using both the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for the ultimate lemon-y experience! Highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for best flavor.
- Chicken tenderloins: I prefer tenderloins to boneless skinless chicken breast because they are more tender and remains juicier after searing, but chicken breast works just fine too. You can also use chicken cutlets or chicken thighs. Cut them into smaller bite-size pieces.
- Unsalted butter: I don’t use salted butter in this because I like to adjust the salt level by adding salt later.
- Garlic cloves: high recommend using fresh! Avoid substituting with garlic powder.
- Half and half: I opted for half and half instead of heavy cream to get a lighter cream texture. Milk was too watery for me for this. Use heavy cream if you want a creamier, heavier lemon cream sauce.
- Parmesan: highly recommend buying a parmesan block and grating it yourself. In our household, there’s always a block in the fridge. Fresh and good quality parmesan will make a big difference to the taste of this dish.
- Salt and black pepper: added to both the chicken before searing and also to the creamy pasta dish as a whole. Salt especially will open up the flavors and bring the dish alive. So add more salt if needed!
How to Make It
And here comes to fun part…let’s make some lemon chicken pasta!
Step 1: Boil Pasta
We start this chicken pasta recipe by boiling water and cooking pasta in a pot.
Make sure to reserve pasta water once pasta is done instead of draining the water away.
I like to get the pasta going first and then work on the chicken and creamy lemon sauce while the pasta boils.
Step 2: Sear Chicken
For the chicken, coat cubed chicken tenderloins with salt and black pepper, then sear it on a large skillet with 1 tbsp of butter. You can use cooking oil instead if you want, but it won’t be as fragrant and tasty.
Use a large skillet (at least 10 inch) because we will eventually be adding the pasta into this same skillet as well.
Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from skillet and make the creamy lemon sauce in that skillet.
Step 3: Make Creamy Lemon Sauce
If there are some brown bits on the skillet, leave the brown bits where they are and add butter onto the skillet. Scrap the bottom of the skillet so the brown bits will be incorporated into the butter, and eventually the sauce.
Add the rest of the creamy lemon sauce ingredients: lemon zest, minced garlic and half and half, and bring to a boil.
Next, add lemon juice. You will want to whisk the mixture when you add the lemon juice to smoothly incorporate it into the sauce.
Then add the reserved pasta water.
Stir to combine and bring to a boil under medium heat.
Step 4: Bring pasta into sauce
Once lemon Alfredo sauce is boiled and thickened slightly, bring linguini pasta and chicken to the skillet.
Using a pair of tongs to toss creamy lemon pasta and chicken until they are all coated with some of that creamy, velvety sauce.
Because the parmesan lover that I am, I like to sprinkle with more parmesan on top of my creamy lemon chicken pasta.
YES, I LOVE MY CHEESE.
You can add some chopped fresh parsley to get a pop of color, but it is not necessary as it will not add much to the flavor of the dish.
All that should take about 30 minutes and before you know it, you will be slurping away at the Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta.
DREAMY.
Variations
This creamy chicken pasta is so versatile. You can also use:
- Chicken broth: add chicken broth for another dimension of flavor in the sauce. Note that it will also water the sauce down unless you also add more half and half.
- Dry white wine: this is another ingredient you can add to the sauce to give it a more complex taste. Make sure to cook the wine down to remove all the alcohol in it.
- Pasta: thin long pasta works best – think angel hair, fettucine, spaghetti etc.
- Herbs: add herbs such as oregano, thyme, or Italian seasoning to jazz up the sauce!
- Spices: onion powder and chili flakes will also take this dish up a notch.
- Veggies: veggies such as kale, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes can be folded into the sauce when tossing pasta in sauce. Blanched asparagus or broccoli are great adds too.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store leftover creamy pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Avoid freezing it because of the dairy content in it.
When it comes to heating anything with cream sauce, I recommend adding a dollop of butter to pasta before heating in microwave. And the same rules apply to this lemon chicken pasta.
Add butter before microwaving, and stir halfway through microwave time, and send it back to the microwave to finish heating it.
Tips and Tricks
- Use fresh ingredients: Freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh garlic cloves make a significant difference in the flavor. Avoid using pre-minced garlic or bottled lemon juice for the best taste.
- Make sure chicken is dry: Defrost and pat dry chicken before coating them with spices and searing them. Chicken that is wet will generate a pool of water in the skillet and that is kinda like ‘boiling’ the chicken instead of searing it, which will produce a less desirable texture and taste.
- Avoid overcooking the pasta: Cook the pasta al dente (to the bite) as it will continue to cook a bit when mixed with the sauce.
- Save some pasta water: Before draining the pasta, save a small amount (about 1/4 cup) of the starchy cooking water. The starch will help thin the sauce without diluting the flavor.
- Prevent pasta from sticking together: If noodles are done before sauce is done, drain water from noodles and toss with some olive oil so they don’t stick together. Avoid rinsing the noodles in cold water because that would wash away the starch on the surface of the pasta and the cream sauce will not coat onto pasta as well.
- Adjust to taste: Always taste the dish before serving. Adjust the salt and pepper, or add more Parmesan or lemon based on your preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pat dry the chicken before seasoning to remove excess water. Make sure the skillet is hot before adding the chicken and avoid overcrowding the pan. Let the chicken sear without moving it; wait until it is browned, then flip.
To keep pasta from sticking together, add a light drizzle of olive oil to cooked pasta after draining it. Avoid rinsing pasta in cold water because that will wash away the starch on it and prevent the creamy lemon sauce to stick to it.
To make it creamier, simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly. To make it less creamy, add a splash of milk or chicken broth. Adjust the sauce ingredients to get your desired texture.
I love to serve it with garlic bread, salad or a side of roasted veggies such as Roasted Broccolini or Roasted Whole Carrots. Bruschetta is a good appetizer to kick off the meal. And a glass of white wine, of course! 😉
Basically any – just cut away any skin or bones and cut the meat into equally sized pieces. It’s easiest to get cuts that are already skinless and boneless, such as chicken tenders and boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
More Pasta Recipes!
Oh yes. I heart pasta with all my heart. 💛
If you love this lemon chicken pasta, here are a few other yummy pasta dishes that you need in your life!
- Roasted Tomato Pasta with Basil and Parmesan
- Chili Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
- Lemon Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- Blackened Shrimp Pasta
- Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce
- Roasted Tomato Pasta with Basil and Parmesan
- Brooklyn Chicken Penne Pasta (by Norine’s Nest)
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz linguini pasta
- 0.5 lbs chicken tenderloins cubed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated, more if needed
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp parsley chopped, optional
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in a pot and cook linguini noodles according to package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. Drain when noodles are done and set aside (see Note 1).
- Cube chicken tenderloins. Coat chicken pieces with a few pinches of salt and black pepper.
- Heat skillet with 1 tbsp of unsalted butter. Once butter is melted (before it turns brown), add chicken tenderloins.
- Sear chicken under medium high heat until they are slightly brown on the outside and cooked on the insides. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add the rest of the butter to skillet, and scrap the bottom of the skillet to remove any brown bits so it is incorporated into the butter. Add garlic, and stir for 10-20 seconds or until fragrant (before they turn brown).
- Add lemon zest and half and half. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Slowly add lemon juice while stirring/whisking the mixture to avoid clumping. Bring to a boil again.
- Turn heat off. Bring linguini and chicken pieces back to skillet. Toss to coat pasta and chicken in sauce. Add parmesan cheese. Taste and add salt and black pepper to taste to open up the flavors even more.
- Serve with more parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desire. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Half and half is now incorporated before the lemon juice to avoid clumping.
- Mixture is whisked continuously while lemon juice is adding – also to avoid clumping.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and use in sauce.
The flavors in this were great but sadly, my sauce curdled when I added in the half & half. It would be helpful to add in some notes on how to prevent curdling (reduce the lemon mixture more before adding the half & half? Use room temp half & half?) so we get a nice, silky sauce.
Hey Michela, I’m glad you enjoyed the flavors! To prevent curdling, warm the half & half in the microwave briefly (20-30 seconds) and stir continuously when pouring half and half into the mixture. Thanks for pointing this out – I will add it to the recipe notes!
I warmed mine… still curdled.
Thanks for the feedback! Make sure to also pour it slowly and whisk while you add it. The whisking/stirring part is super important! Hope that helps!
Another Joyous Apron win! The teenager even asked that we make it again sometime! Thanks for another easy and yummy dinner option!
Thanks so much, Allison! Glad you all enjoyed it! 🙂
We really enjoyed this dish! It comes together very quickly at the end. I had room temperature half and half by setting it out about 90 minutes early and managed to avoid curdling by stirring continuously while pouring and until it came to a boil. This is an excellent dish I will definitely make again. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lea! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
This was too lemony for me (and I’m a big fan of lemon.). That’s an easy fix, though, and besides that it was a great dish. We’ll have it again.
Thank you for sharing! Glad you liked it!
We love lemons and this is the perfect amount of lemon for us. Use shredded rotisserie chicken because I had leftovers. Such a tasty easy meal. Definitely making it again!
Great idea to use rotisserie chicken!
Love how simple and flavorful this pasta is! My kids go crazy for it every time I make it. So good!
Thank you! I’m so glad everyone loved it Angela!
I love recipes like this! Simple and flavorful is always the best. There’s no need for a zillion ingredients, just a few perfect ones.
Thank you so much!
I made this pasta for dinner last night and it was incredible! My whole family loved it and I will definitely be making it again!
I’m so glad to hear! Thanks Tayler!
This comforting pasta dish sounds light and refreshing. Love the creamy lemon sauce. I want to eat with a spoon.
Totally acceptable 🙂 I love that sauce!!!
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a hit all around the table! Quick, easy and delicious; the perfect meal for a busy weeknight!
So glad to hear, Sara! Thank you for sharing!
My husband and I love this recipe, and especially love the lemony flavor! I used heavy cream instead of half and half. But even when I’ve used half and half and had some curdling, it just wasn’t an issue for us because it still tasted great. The last time I made it, I was out of fresh garlic and had to use garlic powder, and it still turned out good. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Thanks for sharing how it went for you! So glad to hear you and your husband are loving this recipe!
I started making my chicken breast first in the crockpot then halfway through decided to make this sauce. I had the ingredients and was hoping it would turn out and it did. Everyone loved it. It’s nice to know I can make the chicken either way and still be yummy. Thank you
Wonderful! That’s such a good idea. Thanks for sharing with us!
I’ve made this a few times, always with stellar results. But the most recent time, I hit the lemon notes exactly right and it was FANTASTIC! That was about 2 weeks ago and my husband has requested this dish or loudly praised it every day since then. Tonight, thanks to my friend with a lemon tree, we’re making it again and at 12:50 pm, he’s already asking, “When is dinner?” Easy with pantry ingredients, Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta is a huge hit at our house!
Thank you so much Lea! So appreciate your kind review!
I wasn’t sure when to add the pasta sauce.
In Step 8 in the recipe card, you will bring the pasta and chicken into the sauce and toss them in sauce.
I haven’t tried it, but it looks luscious
I hope you try it and love it!