Creamy Lemon Chicken

Name: Creamy Lemon Chicken | Slimming & Weight Watchers Friendly
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 medium chicken breasts (approx 150g each); 1 small onion (finely chopped); 1 chicken stock cube (made up with 300ml of boiling water); ½ lemon (juice only); 75 g reduced fat soft cheese; 50 g spinach; black pepper; low calorie cooking spray

5MINS
35MINS
202KCAL

This creamy dish feels so indulgent, you'd never guess it was so low in calories and points. Swapping double cream for low fat cream cheese keeps the fat content low. Tangy lemon juice and spinach keep it fresh.

Easy Peasy

Gluten Free Use GF stock pot
Freezable

NutritionPer Serving

Calories202
Carbs1.9g
Protein39g
Fat4.2g
Saturates1.8g
Sugars1.6g

For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!

If you’re craving something creamy, rich and ready on the table within 40 minutes then this Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe is just what you’re looking for!

Instead of high calorie double cream, we’ve used reduced fat cream cheese. You get the same delicious indulgent flavour, without compromising on calories and points. The spinach adds some extra nutrients and a bit more texture and colour; as a bonus it also looks great on your plate!

This Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe is also really versatile, so you can pick your favourite sides or look at our inspiration below.

What diets is this Creamy Lemon Chicken suitable for?

This Creamy Lemon Chicken can be made gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free versions;

Stock cube

Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.

How Weight Watchers friendly is this Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe?

You need to count 2 Points per portion of this Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe if you’re on WW Green.
You need to count 1 Points per portion of this Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe if you’re on WW Blue.
You need to count 1 Points per portion of this Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe if you’re on WW Purple.

Do you need any special ingredients to make Creamy Lemon Chicken?

Nope! This recipe contains common ingredients you may already have in the fridge, or can be found at any supermarket!

How many calories are in this Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe?

There are 202 calories per serving in this Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category.

This Creamy Lemon Chicken is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.

As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.

Step 1

Spray the frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat.

Step 2

When the pan is hot, place the chicken breasts in and cook for 2 minutes each side to seal and colour. Remove to a plate and place to one side.

Step 3

Give the pan another spray with low calorie cooking spray then add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft.

Step 4

Pour in the stock and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.

Step 5

Stir in the soft cheese, then return the chicken to the pan.

Step 6

Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through.

Step 7

The sauce should have reduced and thickened slightly, but if it is too runny, turn up the heat and allow to bubble until you reach the consistency of single cream.

Step 8

Stir in the spinach and cook for a couple more minutes until it has wilted.

Step 9

Season with a little freshly ground black pepper and serve with your choice of accompaniment.

What could I serve with these Creamy Lemon Chicken?

This recipe is really versatile. We like serving it with lots of fluffy rice or a large portion of steamed vegetables. You could even try over pasta! If you’re looking for ideas, these sides would go well with this dish too:

Easy Peasy

45MINS
239KCal

Rustic Potato Wedges

Chipotle Hasselback Potatoes pinchofnom.com

Easy Peasy

50MINS
161KCal

Chipotle Hasselback Potatoes

Easy Peasy

30MINS
62KCal

Marmite Sprouts

How do you know when these Creamy Lemon Chicken are cooked?

The sauce should be the consistency of single cream and the chicken should be cooked through. This will take around 35 minutes.

Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.

How long can you keep Creamy Lemon Chicken in the fridge?

Lemon Chicken, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.

If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftover Creamy Lemon Chicken in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.

Can I freeze these Creamy Lemon Chicken?

Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;

Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.

Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!

How do I reheat Creamy Lemon Chicken?

Creamy Lemon Chicken is best reheated from chilled.

From chilled: cover the chicken and pop in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Remove, stir, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until piping hot.

From frozen: defrost thoroughly in the fridge and follow the instructions as above.

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