Lemon garlic green beans with chicken thighs is a one-skillet dinner of sliced chicken, green beans and lemon butter sauce, ready in about 35 minutes. It feeds 4, and cleanup is quick.
Why This Recipe Works
Slicing the chicken thighs into thin pieces means they cook through in 3 to 4 minutes per side. Patting them dry first lets them brown instead of steam, and the spice rub of paprika and onion powder sticks to a dry surface.
The green beans cook in the same skillet, first covered with a little water to steam until tender. Then you take off the lid and let the water cook off. The beans pick up the browned bits left by the chicken, and those bits carry a lot of flavor.
The sauce comes together in 2 minutes. Garlic goes into the melted butter for only 30 seconds, so it turns fragrant without burning and turning bitter. Lemon juice and chicken stock then lift the pan juices into a sauce light enough to spoon over everything.
Lemon Garlic Green Beans with Chicken Thighs Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin pieces
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter, from 3 tablespoons (45 g) in all
For the green beans
- 1 pound (450 g) fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
For the lemon garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter, the rest of the 3 tablespoons (45 g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) chicken stock
- Lemon slices, for garnish
How To Make Lemon Garlic Green Beans with Chicken Thighs
Season and sear the chicken
- Season the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, so it browns instead of steaming. Stir the onion powder, paprika, salt and black pepper together, then coat every piece of chicken with the mix.
- Sear the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter in it. Brown the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Move it to a plate.
Cook the green beans
- Steam the beans: Put the green beans and the 1/2 cup water in the same skillet. Cover and steam for 4 to 5 minutes, until the beans are bright and just tender.
- Let the water cook off: Take off the lid and let the water boil away. As the pan dries, the beans pick up the browned bits left behind by the chicken.
Make the sauce and finish
- Cook the garlic: Lower the heat to medium. Melt the other 2 tablespoons butter in the pan, add the garlic, and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the flavor: Pour in the lemon juice and chicken stock, then add the parsley, hot sauce and red pepper flakes. Let it bubble gently for 2 minutes so the sauce comes together.
- Combine: Put the chicken back in the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and green beans, and cook for 2 more minutes to warm everything through.
- Serve: Top with lemon slices, extra parsley and extra red pepper flakes. Serve hot.
Recipe Tips
- Slice the chicken thin: Thin pieces cook fast and evenly. Try to cut them to a similar size, so none dry out while others finish.
- Don’t crowd the pan: If the chicken doesn’t fit in one layer, sear it in two batches. A crowded pan steams the meat and you lose the golden color.
- Watch the garlic: Garlic burns fast in hot butter and turns bitter. Keep the heat at medium and add the liquids right after 30 seconds.
- Adjust the heat: The hot sauce and red pepper flakes give a mild kick. Cut the flakes in half for a gentler sauce, or add more for extra heat.
What To Serve With Lemon Garlic Green Beans with Chicken Thighs
Spoon the extra sauce from the skillet over the chicken and beans, since it is the best part. Serve with crusty bread to mop it up, or with rice or buttered pasta.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: The chicken freezes well for 2 to 3 months, but the green beans turn soft after thawing. Thaw in the fridge, never on the counter.
- Reheat: Warm in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of chicken stock or water, until hot all the way through.
FAQs
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes. Slice the breasts into thin cutlets and cook them for the same 3 to 4 minutes per side, until they reach 165°F (74°C). Breast dries out faster than thigh, so don’t cook it longer.
Is lemon garlic chicken with green beans gluten free?
By the ingredient list, yes, since nothing in it contains wheat. Check the labels on your hot sauce and chicken stock, as some brands add ingredients with gluten.
Can I use frozen green beans?
You can. Add them straight from the freezer and steam them a minute or two longer. They will be softer than fresh beans and pick up a little less browning from the pan.
Why is my sauce watery?
The green beans were probably still wet when you added the butter. Let all the water cook off after steaming, then simmer the sauce for the full 2 minutes so it reduces slightly.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 340 kcal
- Total Fat: 17g
- Total Carbohydrate: 10g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 36g
Lemon Garlic Green Beans with Chicken Thighs
4
servings10
minutes25
minutes35
minutesThin-sliced chicken thighs and tender green beans in a buttery lemon garlic sauce with parsley and a little heat. A quick one-skillet dinner for 4.
Ingredients
- For the chicken
1 1/2 pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin pieces
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, from 3 tablespoons (45 g) in all
- For the green beans
1 pound (450 g) fresh green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
- For the lemon garlic sauce
2 tablespoons butter, the rest of the 3 tablespoons (45 g)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) chicken stock
Lemon slices, for garnish
Directions
- Season the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, so it browns instead of steaming. Stir the onion powder, paprika, salt and black pepper together, then coat every piece of chicken with the mix.
- Sear the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter in it. Brown the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Move it to a plate.
- Steam the beans: Put the green beans and the 1/2 cup water in the same skillet. Cover and steam for 4 to 5 minutes, until the beans are bright and just tender.
- Let the water cook off: Take off the lid and let the water boil away. As the pan dries, the beans pick up the browned bits left behind by the chicken.
- Cook the garlic: Lower the heat to medium. Melt the other 2 tablespoons butter in the pan, add the garlic, and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the flavor: Pour in the lemon juice and chicken stock, then add the parsley, hot sauce and red pepper flakes. Let it bubble gently for 2 minutes so the sauce comes together.
- Combine: Put the chicken back in the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and green beans, and cook for 2 more minutes to warm everything through.
- Serve: Top with lemon slices, extra parsley and extra red pepper flakes. Serve hot.
