Cast Iron Lemon Chicken

It has certainly been a while since I’ve shared some recipes with all of you, however, keep your eyes peeled for lots to come! As much as I love staying busy, for me, the kitchen is absolute zen. This recipe is something I just happened to throw together on a whim tonight, with ingredients I already had in the house. Although, if you do need to grab something for the recipe, all ingredients are available at any grocery store, nothing too crazy! I also owe my return back to Junk In Love after this time to all of you. Thank you for always asking about my latest kitchen creations, and staying on me for recipes, even when I measure with my heart and not the imperial system.

This is one of those recipes as mentioned, where I like to measure with my heart, and mostly my tastebuds. I encourage all of you to do the same with this dish, however, I did include some give or take measurements as guidance. All ingredients are optional as well, feel free to substitute your vegetables, or oils, etc. Whatever your pallet desires!

UTINSILS:

  • 1 Large Cast Iron Skillet

  • 1 Large Frying Pan

  • 1 Sharp Knife (for chopping)

  • Cutting Board


INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken breast (THIN!! this will determine cooking time)

  • 2 Cups Fresh Spinach (You can use 1/2 cup frozen)

  • 1 Handful Whole Cherry Tomatoes

  • 3 Cloves Garlic (Roughly chopped)

  • 1 Cup Half & Half

  • 1/2 Cup White Wine

  • Lemon Pepper Seasoning

  • All Purpose Flour

  • Olive Oil

  • Salted Butter

  • Fresh Thyme

  • Pitted Castelvetrano Olives

  • 2 Fresh Lemons

  • Chicken Bullion Powder Seasoning


STEP ONE:

Add olive oil to your frying pan, enough to coat the entire pan, and turn it to medium high heat. Take your thin chicken breast, and dredge in a flour/lemon pepper seasoning mixture. Once you’ve coated both sides evenly, carefully drop into the frying pan. The goal is to get each side if the chicken just barely golden brown, not to over do it.

STEP TWO:

While the chicken is cooking, go ahead and turn the heat on high for your cast iron skillet on the stovetop. You want to make sure the pan is hot before transferring ingredients over. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, and transfer over your chicken breast. Quickly add the white wine, garlic, thyme (not with stems), and juice of one whole lemon. You can leave the lemon halves in the pan after you’ve squeezed them for now. We’ll fish them out later. Keep an eye on your heat, and adjust accordingly. You want a steady sizzle, not a hissing sound, but also not crackling or popping sounds.

STEP THREE:

Once the wine has cooked down a bit, add your half and half, spinach, olives, and tomatoes. I also threw in a spoonful of chicken bullion seasoning to taste. Slice your other lemon in circles and place throughout the skillet. Keep that temperature high to thicken into a sauce, but be careful not to burn. These steps move pretty quickly, and if you need to pull the pan off the heat, don’t be shy! You can season with salt and pepper to taste. Once your chicken is cooked through, add your remaining fresh Thyme with stems over top, and serve!

Feel free to pair this with any grain of your choice. I personally love an Israeli pearl couscous, it adds texture while still keeping the dish relatively light.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did in our home! As always, if you do decide to try this one, be sure to share your pictures and posts with the hashtag #JunkInLove and tag me on Instagram, @Junk.in.love.



Denae Junker