Looking for a delicious Spring Dinner made with simple, seasonal ingredients? Try this Lemon Chicken with Asparagus recipe! It’s made with pan fried chicken breast (lightly seasoned & floured) and sautéed asparagus swimming in a bright and zesty lemon and dijon mustard pan sauce. | Dairy Free + Paleo Option

Original recipe shared on March 20, 2017 – updated April 7, 2025 with improved photos, recipe, tips and ingredient explanations.

Bite-Sized Recipe Steps

Altogether, this recipe breaks down into 3 main stages:

1. chicken prep
2. sauté asparagus & make pan sauce
3. mix everything together

Chicken Prep

Cut & pound chicken breast: Begin by cutting each chicken breast in half width-ways. The goal here is to basically butterfly the chicken, but finish by dividing the chicken breast into 2 thin pieces instead of 1 thick piece.

After cutting each piece, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken down into an even thickness (about 1/4-inch). Cutting and pounding the chicken will allow the chicken to cook faster and more evenly.

Coat chicken in flour mixture then cook:

Whisk together flour, salt and pepper in a large plate, and then dip each piece of chicken in the mixture. When you’re ready, fry the chicken in a hot, oiled pan until golden and cooked through, then remove and set aside.

Asparagus & Pan Sauce

Sauté garlic & asparagus: Add more oil to the pan if it’s looking a bit dry, then add garlic and asparagus. Cook for about a minute, stirring the whole time.

Make it Saucy: Add lemon juice, zest, chicken stock (or chicken broth) and dijon mustard. Cook on a high heat to bring it to a boil then reduce the temp to maintain a simmer. Let simmer about 3-4 minutes or until the asparagus has softened, but still has a bite to it. Stir in the parsley.

Mix it Together

Finally, add the chicken pieces back to the pan. Mix well into the asparagus and sauce so that each piece is well and and fully coated.

The sauce will thicken up just a bit after you add the chicken, thanks to the light-breading.

Final Tips & Notes

• Make it paleo friendly/ grain free: Use tapioca starch or arrowroot starch instead of gluten free all purpose flour.
• Flour Substitutes: Potato starch and rice flour (regular rice flour, not sweet rice flour) work great here too!
• Other Fresh Herbs: Instead of (or in addition to) parsley, try this with fresh basil, dill or mint.
• Thicken the Sauce: Before you add the chicken, whisk and add 1 tablespoon of water with 1/2 tsp flour or starch (tapioca, arrowroot or cornstarch).

Enjoy!

Let me know if you try this Lemon Chicken Asparagus recipe! I’d love to hear what you made with it and how it turned out! Please leave a comment and review with your thoughts and suggestions for me and future readers.

Yield: 4 people

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus Recipe

4.5 Stars (69 Reviews)

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

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Made with pan fried chicken breast and tender asparagus in zesty lemon & dijon mustard sauce - a fantastic Spring Dinner!

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
• 1/4 cup plain gluten free flour (35g)
• 3/4 tsp sea salt or kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper + more to taste
• 2 tbsp avocado oil + more if needed
• 1 lb asparagus stalks, woody ends trimmed & cut in half (450g)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup chicken stock (240ml)
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (45ml) + 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped + more for garnishing

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Cut each chicken breast in half, width-ways then place the breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound them down to make them even in thickness (about 1/4-inch thick).
2. In a large, shallow bowl or plate, whisk together the flour, salt & pepper. Dip and press each chicken piece into flour mixture. Gently shake the excess flour off into the bowl. Set aside the floured chicken on a large plate and repeat until each piece has been coated.
3. Warm oil in a large skillet or pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook about 5 minutes until golden brown then flip and cook the other side 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Add more oil to the pan, if needed, then add the asparagus and garlic. Cook about 1 minute then add chicken stock, lemon juice, zest and mustard. Turn up the heat to reach a boil, then reduce down to a medium heat to simmer. Simmer about 3-4 minutes until asparagus is tender. Stir in the parsley.
5. Add the chicken back to the pan, making sure to mix well so it's fully coated in sauce. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired, then remove from the heat and serve.
6. Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep refrigerated up to 4 days.

Notes

• Make Paleo/Grain Free: Use tapioca starch or arrowroot starch instead of plain flour.
• Thicken the Sauce: Before you add the chicken, whisk and add 1 tablespoon of water with 1/2 tsp flour or starch (tapioca, arrowroot or cornstarch).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

g
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 313Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 645mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 38g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Mains Cuisine: Gluten Free