Some nights call for easy dinners and tonight was one of them! This easy one-skillet lemon chicken and asparagus is drizzled with a beautiful and buttery balsamic sauce and is perfect for lazy nights in. I’m usually not a big fan of balsamic vinegar, but when it’s reduced down to a thick sauce and has butter melted into it, it’s pretty hard to resist!

For this one-skillet lemon chicken, all you need to do is fry up your favorite kind of chicken (thighs, breasts, or tenders) until about cooked through, add some cherry tomatoes and then bake in the oven until the chicken is 165ºF. Take the chicken out of the skillet and add the asparagus and cook for just a few minutes until bright green and then voilà! Dinner is 95% ready. While the asparagus is baking, it only takes 5 minutes to whip up the balsamic butter sauce which is drizzled over the entire dish when served. It’s seriously scrumptious.

Grade

Serves: 4

Cost: $

Skill Level: Easy

Time to Make: 45 minutes (30 minutes inactive)

Ingredients for Easy One-Skillet Lemon Chicken and Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

LEMON CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons oil

1 lemon

1 pint cherry tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound fresh asparagus

BALSAMIC BUTTER SAUCE

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons butter, chilled

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Prepare Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Slice the ends off the lemon and set aside. Slice the middle of the lemon into rounds. Trim the woody ends off the asparagus. Cut the butter into cubes and return to the fridge.

Fry the Chicken:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high until very hot. Add the chicken and cook without moving for 5 minutes until well-browned. Squeeze 1 lemon end over the chicken. Flip the chicken and squeeze the other lemon end over the chicken. Arrange the lemon slices and tomatoes around the chicken and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165ºF.

Cook the Asparagus:

Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm on a plate. Add the asparagus to the skillet and toss to coat in the oil. Season with salt and pepper and return to the oven for about 10-12 minutes or until bright green and tender but still crisp. Remove from heat.

Prepare the Balsamic Butter Sauce:

While the asparagus is baking, prepare the balsamic butter sauce. Add the balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Once bubbling, reduce heat to a very low boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the balsamic vinegar has reduced to a thick sauce. Stir in the chilled, cubed butter and whisk until incorporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

To Serve:

Arrange the lemon chicken on a plate with the asparagus and tomatoes. Drizzle the balsamic butter sauce over the dish. Enjoy!

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