One-Pan Lemon Chicken and Green Beans
A fast, low-fuss chicken dinner that uses one pan and comes together before you get too tired to cook.
If you’re tired and still need dinner, this is the kind of recipe that helps: familiar, bright, and low on decisions. It works well on a weeknight when you want something real instead of takeout, but you do not have energy for a long ingredient list or a stack of dishes. The chicken cooks in the same pan as the green beans, so the sauce picks up extra flavor without much effort. Expect simple, homey lemon-garlic chicken with tender vegetables and a light pan sauce, not a fancy restaurant version. Serve it as-is, or spoon it over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes if you want it to feel more filling.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs — Cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 lb green beans — Trimmed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 unit garlic cloves — Minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 0.25 cup lemon juice — Fresh if possible
- 1 unit lemon — Zested and sliced for serving
Method
- 1 Pat the chicken dry and season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme.
- 2 Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and mostly cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer it to a plate.
- 3 Add the garlic and green beans to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the beans start to turn bright green and lightly blistered.
- 4 Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce lightly reduces, 6 to 8 minutes.
- 5 Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Finish with lemon zest and serve warm.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Replace the chicken with 2 cans drained chickpeas and simmer just long enough to heat them through; keep the lemon sauce and green beans the same.
- Faster swap — Use thin-sliced chicken cutlets instead of thighs so the chicken cooks in about half the time.
- Easy substitutions — Swap green beans for asparagus or broccoli florets, and use lime juice if that is what you have.
Notes
For the best texture, use thighs for a little extra forgiveness, but chicken breast works too if you reduce the simmer time and pull it as soon as it hits 165°F. If your green beans are very thick, give them an extra minute or two in the pan or add a small splash of water and cover briefly to soften them.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — It gives the chicken room to brown instead of steaming.
- Tongs — They make it easy to turn the chicken and move it in and out of the pan.
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