Creamy Lemon Chicken

  • 5MINS
  • 35MINS
  • Serves 4
  • 192KCAL

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.

  • Batch Cook pinchofnom.com
  • Everyday Light pinchofnom.com
  • Freezable pinchofnom.com
Easy Peasy Creamy Lemon Chicken pinchofnom.com
4

NutritionPer Serving

  • Calories192
  • Carbs2.3g
  • Fat2.9g
  • Saturates0.9g
  • Protein39g
  • Sugars1.9g

Creamy Lemon Chicken - Pinch of Nom Slimming Recipes

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 low 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.

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!

Hints & Tips

Below we added some of our communities most common hints and tips. We hope you find them useful.

Delicious Creamy Lemon Chicken
Really delicious dish and I doubled the amount of stock & cream cheese for more sauce as it wasn’t enough for us. Also added garden peas as well as spinach for a little extra veg.
Easy and tasty
I cut the chicken into strips which made it even quicker to make. I added some mixed herbs and served with mash and vegetables. Really tasty.
1
Delicious 😋
Love this recipe, I diced the chicken breasts up with our's as I prefer it like that and I feel like I have more on my plate, we had this with veg and the chipotle hasselback potatoes from the website, it was delicious 😋
Very tasty!
Such an easy recipe to follow, definitely will make again.
1
Replaced chicken with salmon
Did the creamy lemon sauce, but used salmon instead of chicken, it was delicious
1
Preferences
I switch out the spinach for green beans and also to make this a quick dish I use the leftover chicken from the Sunday roast.
Another household favourite!
Very tasty, easy to make dish. I used mini chicken fillets for this, and it was amazing! I added in a little thyme, oregano and garlic, along with the black pepper. Served with pasta but would go well with potatoes or lots of veggies
This was delicious and so easy to make!
I might consider using mini chicken fillets next time as they would cook quicker.
Cream cheese
I used dairylea light triangles as part of slimming world healthy extra
Delicious and simple
I followed the recipe exactly, although I was worried it might be too strong of lemon, it was perfect. I had it it with paprika sweet potato cubes and Parmesan and garlic courgette sliced, the flavours all went great together.
Sneaky veg!
I have a family that don’t like eating veg! So it is a great way to get them to eat spinach and get all the goodness from an iron rich veg!
Half the amount
If like me your not a fan of lemons use half the lemon juice still has a slight zest but not overly lemony

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‘Really easy dish to prepare and cook in a short time so good for those busy days. We all loved this dish, very tasty one of our favourites so far from PON’

Sally123

How many calories are in this Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe?

There are 192 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 2 pinchofnom.com

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

Add the stock cube to the boiling water and pour into the pan along with the lemon juice and bring to a simmer.

Step 4 pinchofnom.com

Step 5

Stir in the low fat cream cheese, then return the chicken to the pan.

Step 5 pinchofnom.com

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 7 pinchofnom.com

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.

Creamy Lemon Chicken - Pinch of Nom Slimming Recipes

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:

Rustic Potato Wedges pinchofnom.com
Easy Peasy
  • 45MINS
  • 164KCal
Chipotle Hasselback Potatoes pinchofnom.com
Easy Peasy
  • 50MINS
  • 161KCal
Marmite Sprouts pinchofnom.com
Easy Peasy
  • 30MINS
  • 62KCal
Garlic Green Beans pinchofnom.com
Easy Peasy
  • 5MINS
  • 39KCal

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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Creamy Lemon Chicken

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.
  • Prep Time
    5 MINS
  • Cook Time
    35 MINS
  • KCals 192
  • Carbs 2.3G

Ingredients

  • 4 medium chicken breasts approx 150g each
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 chicken stock cube
  • 300 ml boiling water
  • ½ lemon juice only
  • 75 g low fat cream cheese
  • 50 g spinach
  • black pepper
  • low calorie cooking spray

We use a fan assisted oven for all of our recipes. Check out our oven temperature conversion guide.

Please do not screenshot this. Recipes are updated often

Instructions

  1. Spray the frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat.
  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.
  3. Give the pan another spray with low calorie cooking spray then add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft.
  4. Add the stock cube to the boiling water and pour into the pan along with the lemon juice and bring to a simmer.
  5. Stir in the low fat cream cheese, then return the chicken to the pan.
  6. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through.
  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.
  8. Stir in the spinach and cook for a couple more minutes until it has wilted.
  9. Season with a little freshly ground black pepper and serve with your choice of accompaniment.

Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?

With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.



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Recipe notes

A versatile dish, this can be served any way you like. It goes great with potatoes, rice or even pasta!

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58 comments

See what others have to say

Deborah ChapmanFriday 14th January 2022

Looks great, will try…..can it be frozen once cooked

Reply

    HollyFriday 14th January 2022

    Hey Deborah, yes you can freeze this just freeze as soon as it is cold enough and use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing. To reheat cover the chicken and pop in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Remove, stir, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until piping hot. Hope that helps!

    Reply

Louise JollySunday 9th January 2022

Hey just wondering which of your books this is from?

Reply

    HollyMonday 10th January 2022

    Hey Louise, Creamy Lemon Chicken appears in our latest book Comfort Food, you can find more information HERE

    Reply

CarlieThursday 2nd September 2021

I made this for my family last night. It was absolutely delicious. I used the juice of a whole lemon which really gave it an extra lemony kick. All empty plates in this house last night. Highly recommend this dish.

Reply

    HollyFriday 3rd September 2021

    Hey Carlie, thanks so much for your message. We are so glad to hear you enjoyed the Creamy Lemon Chicken!

    Reply

SeraphieWednesday 1st September 2021

Really lovely and very filling. The sauce is delicious and so creamy that my partner thought it actually had cream in.
Had this with rice, but I am thinking of adding some garlic and mushrooms next time and having with mash, but that is just for personal preference.
So simple to make and definitely a winter comfort food. Starting to wish I had made more

Reply

    HollyFriday 3rd September 2021

    Hey Seraphie, thanks so much for your message we are so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Mushrooms sound like a great addition to it too!

    Reply

JodieTuesday 20th April 2021

Loved this recipe. We stirred some parmesan in at the end (appreciate this increased calories) but it was really lovely and definitely worth it!

Reply

    HollyWednesday 21st April 2021

    Hey Jodie, thanks so much for your message we are so glad to hear you enjoyed the Creamy Lemon Chicken!

    Reply

Ruth BroadThursday 8th April 2021

Love this recipe – it has become a regular weekday dinner. It is the first recipe I tried from you and have bought a couple of your books after trying it, I have not been disappointed with the books either – thank you 😊

Reply

    HollyFriday 9th April 2021

    Hey Ruth, thanks so much for your message we are so glad you are enjoying our recipes!

    Reply

YipTuesday 30th March 2021

When making this for two, the size of the stock cube changes but the amount of water doesn’t. Is that intentional? I did find that my sauce was veeeery thick

Reply

    HollyWednesday 31st March 2021

    Hey, I’ve amended this recipe and listed the water and stock cube as 2 ingredients so this will now scale up or down when the serving sizes are changed

    Reply

Louise McCarthyMonday 22nd February 2021

Love love LOVE this dish! One of our weekday specials nearly every week. I also like to add some fresh thyme sprigs when cooking for some extra flavour, with a side of fresh green beans and basmati rice, so yummy! 😍

Reply

    SharonMonday 22nd February 2021

    Hi Louise, thanks so much for your lovely comment. We’re so glad this recipe is one of your favourites.

    Reply

Clare GwilliamWednesday 17th February 2021

Hi, I made this tonight it was lovely. I’ve since looked for it in my three books but can’t find it. Which book is it in please and what page ? I’d like to tag the page as a favourite.

Reply

    HollyThursday 18th February 2021

    Hi Clare, this recipe is exclusive to our website so doesn’t appear in any of our books, hope that helps!

    Reply

Mrs Donna BourkeMonday 8th February 2021

Hi could I use quark instead of cream cheese in this recipe?

Reply

    HollyTuesday 9th February 2021

    Hi Donna, yes quark would work fine in this recipe!

    Reply

MichelleSunday 7th February 2021

If using some lemon juice as opposed to actually squeezing half a lemon, how much would you use? Thanks.

Reply

    HollyMonday 8th February 2021

    Hi Michelle, the juice of half a lemon is about 1tbsp give the sauce a try and if you feel like it needs more just add a little extra. Hope that helps!

    Reply

christine ConwaySaturday 6th February 2021

Just made this and wow so easy and looks yummy.

Reply

    LisaSaturday 6th February 2021

    Thank you, Christine. Glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply

StaceThursday 4th February 2021

Can this be done in the slow cooker at all? Havent got a oven at the mo so using my slow cooker.
And I find it easier also to just throw everything in and leave it and get stuff done 😂

All these recipes look amazing were a huge fan of your chicken baked spaghetti!

You’ve helped a very fussy 9year old and a fussy adult
Many thanks

Reply

    HollyFriday 5th February 2021

    Hi Stace, I’m not sure this recipe would translate well into the slow cooker as the sauce isn’t really suitable. If you have a look HERE we have a section of slow cooker recipes and this article HERE gives you a few tips and advice when converting recipes for slow cookers. Hope that helps!

    Reply

Jemma HoltTuesday 2nd February 2021

Can you somthing else instead of cream cheese as I do not like cream cheese at all but other then that this sounds lovely!

Reply

    LisaTuesday 2nd February 2021

    Hi Jemma, you could use creme fraiche or some cream, but you would have to adjust the nutritionals to reflect the swap.

    Reply

Gail SchofieldSunday 31st January 2021

This was our 4th PON meal and all have been scrumptious. Added a couple of garlic cloves with the onion. Served with hassleback new pots, steamed tender stem and french beans. Husband declared “restaurant quality “!!

Reply

    HollySunday 31st January 2021

    Hi Gail, so glad to hear you and your husband enjoyed this recipe!

    Reply

Victoria BakerFriday 22nd January 2021

Fantastic dish, super quick and easy!

Added some rosemary and thyme and swapped the cream cheese for some low fat creme fraiche.

Reply

    LisaSunday 24th January 2021

    Glad you enjoyed it, Victoria! Great idea adding some herbs!

    Reply

Sadie Cooper-DaviesTuesday 19th January 2021

This is absolutely delicious! I would absolutely recommend this recipe – quick and easy, yummy with hassleback potatoes and greens.

Reply

    HollyWednesday 20th January 2021

    Hey Sadie, so glad you enjoyed the Creamy Lemon Chicken!

    Reply

Kate ESaturday 10th October 2020

A family favourite. Easy to make and very yummy. One for all the family. Thank you Pinch of Nom

Reply

    HollyMonday 12th October 2020

    Hey Kate, so glad you enjoyed Creamy Lemon Chicken!

    Reply

GeorginaFriday 25th September 2020

Struggled to get it to creamy, however the chicken cooked really nicely and it still tasted good

Reply

    HollyTuesday 29th September 2020

    Hi Georgina, I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. The sauce should thicken slightly after 15 minutes but if it still looks runny try turning up the heat and allowing it to bubble until it’s reached the consistency you’d like. Hope that helps!

    Reply

AnnalizeMonday 31st August 2020

Really tasty and all the family liked it, will do it again x

Reply

    HollyTuesday 1st September 2020

    Hi Annalize, so glad you all enjoyed it!

    Reply

Ann ScobieThursday 27th August 2020

Just had creamy lemon chicken for tea, forgot to get spinach so just added courgette. It was lovely really enjoyed it and so easy to make.

Reply

    SharonFriday 28th August 2020

    Hi Ann,
    We’re so glad you enjoyed the Creamy Lemon Chicken and thanks for letting us know your tip about using courgettes, it sounds good!

    Reply

DonnaMonday 24th August 2020

What cheese is best to use for the recipe ? Cream cheese or another spreadable cheese ?

Reply

    SharonTuesday 25th August 2020

    Hi Donna,
    A low fat cream cheese would be suitable for this recipe. We hope you enjoy making the Creamy Lemon Chicken, and thanks for getting in touch.

    Reply

Mr Andy StylesSunday 23rd August 2020

We have both books but cant find this recipe, is this online only?

Reply

    SharonMonday 24th August 2020

    Hi Andy,
    Thankyou for buying both books and hope you are enjoying them. The Creamy Lemon Chicken is a website recipe and doesn’t appear in the books.It is a popular recipe and hope you give it a try.Thanks for getting in touch.

    Reply

Aurelius WrightWednesday 19th August 2020

Absolutely loved this dish, so simple to make and so tasty.

Reply

    SharonThursday 20th August 2020

    Hi Aurelius, we’re so pleased to hear that you loved this recipe, thanks for letting us know!

    Reply

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