Anna Louise Lemon chicken is the weeknight dinner that feels considerably more elegant than the effort required to make it. Tender chicken breasts or thighs, cooked golden in a pan, finished in a bright, buttery lemon sauce with garlic and fresh herbs — it is the kind of meal that looks and tastes genuinely impressive while taking thirty minutes from start to finish.
Mary Berry’s lemon chicken recipe is the version that consistently produces the best result — the chicken is flattened slightly before cooking for even thickness, seared golden in a hot pan, and finished in a sauce made in the same pan from butter, garlic, chicken stock, lemon juice, and a little honey to soften the sharpness.
Everything comes together quickly and the finished dish has a clean, vibrant flavour that makes it a recipe you return to constantly.
What Makes This Recipe Work
Flattening the chicken. Chicken breasts that are even in thickness cook evenly — no dry thin end and raw thick end. Place the breast between two sheets of baking parchment and press firmly with a rolling pin or your hand to flatten to an even 2cm. This single step makes a significant difference.
Searing at high heat then finishing in the sauce. Golden seared chicken that finishes in the lemon sauce absorbs the sauce’s flavour while the sauce benefits from the browned bits left in the pan. Everything improves when cooked this way.
Butter at the end. A knob of cold butter whisked into the sauce at the very end — off the heat — gives it a glossy, slightly thick consistency and a richness that changes the character of the entire dish. Never skip this.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Lemon Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 6 boneless skinless thighs)
- 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 200ml good quality chicken stock
- Juice of 1½ large lemons (about 5 tbsp)
- Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 40g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley or fresh tarragon, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to Make Mary Berry Lemon Chicken — Step by Step
Step 1 — Prepare the Chicken
Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of baking parchment. Press firmly with a rolling pin to flatten to an even 2cm thickness. Dust lightly in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
Step 2 — Sear the Chicken
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook for three to four minutes per side until deeply golden on the outside and just cooked through. Do not move the chicken during the first three minutes — leave it undisturbed so a golden crust can form.
Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a warm plate. Cover loosely with foil.
Step 3 — Make the Lemon Sauce
In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant — do not let it brown. Pour in the chicken stock and let it bubble, scraping up the browned bits from the base of the pan.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer for two to three minutes until it has reduced slightly and has a light, sauce-like consistency.
Step 4 — Finish With Butter
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cold cubed butter and whisk it into the sauce in small movements until fully incorporated and the sauce looks glossy and slightly thickened. This is called mounting with butter and it transforms the sauce.
Step 5 — Return Chicken and Serve
Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over it. Warm briefly over a low heat for one minute — do not let the sauce boil after the butter has been added or it will split.
Scatter with fresh parsley or tarragon. Serve immediately with the sauce spooned generously over the chicken.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Lemon Chicken
Flatten the chicken to an even thickness. The single most practical step for perfectly cooked chicken breast. Even thickness means even cooking — no dry edges and raw centres.
Leave the chicken undisturbed when searing. Three to four minutes in a hot pan without moving gives you a deeply golden crust. Moving it before it is ready tears the surface and prevents the crust from forming.
Use cold butter for the sauce. Cold butter whisked into a warm sauce creates an emulsion that gives the sauce its glossy, slightly thick consistency. Warm or softened butter melts immediately and does not create the same emulsion.
Do not boil the sauce after adding butter. Boiling after mounting with butter breaks the emulsion and the sauce separates into a greasy, thin liquid. Warm gently and serve immediately.
Taste and balance the sauce. The balance of lemon juice, honey, and stock is adjustable. More lemon for sharpness, more honey for sweetness, more stock to dilute. Taste before the butter goes in and adjust to your preference.
Serving Suggestions
With new potatoes and green beans — the classic combination. With rice to absorb the sauce. With crusty bread for mopping. With a simple rocket and Parmesan salad alongside for a complete, elegant dinner.
How to Store Mary Berry Lemon Chicken
In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The butter sauce can separate when refrigerated — reheat gently, stirring, and it usually comes back together.
Freezing is not recommended — the butter sauce does not freeze well and the texture suffers.
Mary Berry Lemon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Flatten chicken to even 2cm thickness. Dust in seasoned flour.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken 3–4 minutes per side until deeply golden. Do not move during the first 3 minutes. Remove and rest on a warm plate covered with foil.
- Reduce heat. Add garlic — 30 seconds. Add stock — bubble and scrape base. Add lemon juice, zest, honey, and mustard. Simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Remove from heat. Whisk in cold butter in small pieces until sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.
- Return chicken to pan. Spoon sauce over. Warm 1 minute over very low heat — do not boil. Scatter herbs. Serve immediately.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes — boneless skinless thighs work beautifully and are more forgiving of slightly longer cooking. Cook for five to six minutes per side. No need to flatten them.
Can I add capers to the sauce?
Yes — a tablespoon of rinsed capers added to the sauce with the lemon juice gives a pleasant salty, slightly sharp note that works very well with the lemon.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Yes — replace the butter with a good quality dairy-free block butter. The sauce will still emulsify and will be very good.
Why did my sauce split?
Either the butter was added to a sauce that was too hot, or the sauce was boiled after the butter was added. Remove from the heat before adding the butter and warm only very gently afterwards.
Can I add cream to the sauce?
Yes — two tablespoons of double cream added before the butter gives a richer, more substantial sauce. Add with the stock and lemon juice and reduce briefly before adding the butter.
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