30-Minute Skillet Citrus Chicken

This is an easy, flavorful chicken that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It should only take about 30 minutes to prepare! 

I usually don’t have chicken tenderloins on hand, but I almost always have boneless, skinless chicken breast in the freezer. So, I just sliced the chicken into strips.

The first time that I made the sauce for the chicken, I totally overcooked the garlic. It only took a few extra seconds to go from blonde and fragrant to brown and crispy. (I just had to dump it out and start over with the sauce.) Now I make sure I keep an eye on it and have my other ingredients all measured out and ready to go in advance.

I love that sauce is made from scratch with yummy, fresh flavorings! I usually serve this chicken with rice and steamed broccoli.

To make this TERRAfit-friendly, use whole grain flour and coconut oil (or other healthy oil).

Recipe adapted from Cook’s Country April/May 2013.

Notes: You can freeze orange, lemon, and lime zest. Measure the zest to your desired amount, add a little bit of water to the zest, and freeze it in an ice cube tray or small container for a later time.

You can freeze fresh parsley too. Perfect for adding to a dish, but not for using as a garnish. Rinse and dry with paper towels. Mince the leaves and measure your desired amount, then double-bag and remove the air from the bag. Label and freeze. If the frozen parsley is going into a hot dish, you don’t need to thaw it.

30-Minute Skillet Citrus Chicken

This is an easy, flavorful chicken that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It should only take about 30 minutes to prepare! 

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

Adjust Servings: 4

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken breast cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick strips
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced

Instructions

• You will need the zest and juice from the orange: about 1 tablespoon zest, 1/4 cup juice. And from the lemon too: 2 teaspoons zest, 3 tablespoons juice.
• For the Chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half of chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken. Sauteing the chicken in two batches ensures that it will brown, not steam.
• For the Sauce: It helps to have your ingredients measured and ready before starting the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. In the empty skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Don't let it burn! Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, orange juice, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, orange zest, and lemon zest.
• Stir the cooked chicken into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 22g | Sodium: 284mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g