This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This delicious Creamy Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms is prepared in a skillet and ready in less than 30 minutes. Full of flavor, but also dairy free using coconut milk as the cream base. Serve with rice, pasta, or zoodles for a complete healthy dinner that the whole family will enjoy! Paleo, Whole30, and Keto.
Reasons you will love this Skillet Creamy Lemon Chicken!
Easy, healthy, and delicious dinners are exactly what I love making on a busy weeknight. As a nutritionist who is super busy with kids in various activities, I need to be able to hit all of three of these on any given weeknight. I love tossing mushrooms into meals like this—they’re great at soaking up flavor and bringing that cozy, savory depth. This particular recipe is the perfect springtime recipe in every single way. Here are all the reasons why I love it:
- Loaded with asparagus; my favorite spring time vegetable!
- So decadent delicious with a lemon creamy sauce
- Made without dairy and a much healthier way of enjoying a comfort food recipe!
- One pan meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes
A light and hearty meal full of nutrients!
As mentioned above, this is a creamy dish. But instead of butter and cream, I used coconut milk and coconut oil. Coconut oil and milk are better alternatives to heavy cream and butter. Although they have high saturated fat content, they are much healthier source of fat than most saturated fat because they contain medium-chain triglycerides (also called MCT’s).
I don’t want to get too scienc-y on you, but let me just share with you the difference between MCT saturated fats and other common saturated fats (such as vegetable oils, animal fats, etc.) MCTs are sent directly to your liver and are quickly converted into energy as opposed to being stored as fat. This also creates less stress on the digestive system and does not require special enzymes to break down.
How to make Creamy Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms:
- Start off by heating up some coconut oil in a skillet. Sauté each chicken breast for a few minutes on each side (they will not be cooked through), set aside.
- You may need to add a bit more coconut oil, and add your mushrooms, garlic, and asparagus to the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the asparagus is nice and crispy, and the mushrooms are fragrant and soft.
- Now add the chicken back to the skillet. Place coconut milk, lemon juice, and lemon rind with the chicken. Heat up the pan to medium high heat, cover.
- After the mixture begins to bubble, turn the heat down to medium low. Simmer altogether until the chicken is cooked through (about 5-8 minutes).
Serving and Storing:
Serve immediately with zoodles, rice, or pasta. I loved it with zoodles, while my kids and husband preferred rice. For a simple side, you could pair it with Oven Roasted Potatoes, or keep things light and fresh with an Easy House Salad
Be sure to rate the recipe below and comment if you make it! Also, tag me on Instagram @wholesomelicious with your creations. I love to see them!
Creamy Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 3-4 large chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 8 medium sized asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 3/4 cup coconut milk, the canned stuff, you can use light or full fat
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Begin by heating up a large skillet to medium-medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp coconut oil.
- Place chicken in pan, heat about 3 minutes per side, and set aside (chicken will not be cooked through).
- Add remaining coconut oil if needed. Toss in crushed garlic, asparagus, and mushrooms.
- Saute until asparagus is crispy, and mushrooms are soft and fragrant (about 10 minutes)
- Return the chicken to the pan. Add in coconut milk, lemon juice, and lemon rind.
- With the skillet on medium high heat, cover. Wait until the mixture bubbles, then lower to medium low. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Salt to taste and serve with rice, pasta, or zoodles.
Can I use carton coconut milk instead of canned? And would green beans be a good idea to replace asparagus? Husband doesn’t like asparagus ๐
Hi Alexandra! You can absolutely replace with green beans, or even broccoli. I would not use regular carton coconut milk because it does not have the fat content and is not as thick as canned coconut milk. It would come out very watery and I don’t think it would taste as good. However, if it was all you had, use some sort of thickening agent like arrowroot starch to thicken the sauce.
OMG!!! I just made this and it was amazing!!! I was scared of the coconut milk and oil but I didn’t taste it at all!!! My dad loved it and he has not been impressed with my paleo or Whole30 meals. I had sweet potatoes and served that on the side. I will make this again!!
So glad you enjoyed it Valerie! If you are happy with the coconut milk recipes, you really need to try this one that’s similar and sooooo good: https://www.wholesomelicious.com/creamy-maple-dijon-chicken-with-bacon/
Hi, I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I planned on trying It tonight. I am wondering if I can substitute anything for the coconut milk since I don’t have some handy at home. Would evaporated milk work? I also have coconut water…I wanted to avoid a trip to the store if possible!
Thanks!
Hi Raquel! Yes, you can absolutely substitute for the coconut milk. If you are not following a dairy-free diet, feel free to try heavy cream, half and half, or even evaporated milk. I would not recommend the coconut water, and if I had to pick I would choose the cream or half and half over evaporated milk.
Looks like I am off to the store because I don’t have anything but the evaporated milk! I’ll stick with the coconut milk. ๐
Hey would this freeze well?
I am thinking probably not. Coconut milk is tricky to freeze and doesn’t work well for me.
Hey I’m trying this with chicken legs. Thanks for this wonderful recipe it’s my first time cooking with coconut oil and coconut milk.
What are these “zoodles” that you mentioned in you post? I would think they might be some kind of zucchini pasta but I am not sure.
Hi there, zoodles are zucchini noodles made in a spiralizer. You can also serve this over spaghetti squash too! Any pasta would also work if you don’t follow a gluten-free diet.
Looks delicious! Do you think I could substitute Greek yogurt with stock to think out if needed instead of the coconut milk?
Hi Jess, Greek yogurt might be a little tricky because it has a tendency to clump. I would try half and half or a greek yogurt cream cheese if you don’t mind the dairy.
This was excellent. I just used olive oil instead of coconut oil because that’s what I had. Still very good! I didn’t even eat it with noodles; I used extra mushrooms and asparagus. It was so good!! Thanks!! I’m keeping this recipe!
Great! Glad you loved it Amy!
The recipe says lemon rind. Does that mean the zest of the lemon?
Yes! Sorry, I use the two interchangeably. But you are correct in that it’s only the zest of the lemon! I’ll change the recipe too ๐
Thank you for clarifying ๐ I ways confused as well
Do you use canned coconut milk?
Never mind. I see the recipe states “canned” coconut milk ๐