Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Skillet Citrus Chicken Tenders
Orange and lemon give these chicken tenders a bright, buttery sauce that's especially inviting over the golden pieces. A little zest keeps the citrus aroma close with every forkful. Give the chicken plenty of sauce on your plate so that flavor follows each bite.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 5
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Cook the chicken in two batches
Give the tenders room in the skillet so they can turn golden instead of steaming. The first batch waits under foil while the second one cooks, then everything goes back into the sauce at the end.
2. Keep the garlic moving
The garlic only gets a brief saute before the flour goes in. Stir the flour constantly for that minute too, so it blends into the butter and sets up a smooth sauce.
3. Scrape up the browned bits
As the broth and citrus juices go into the skillet, scrape the bottom well. Those browned bits from the chicken are part of the sauce, and they help give it more savory depth.
Get to know the ingredients
Chicken tenders or sliced breasts
Chicken tenderloins are called for, but sliced chicken breasts work too. Aim for tender-sized strips so they cook quickly and evenly in the skillet.
Fresh citrus matters here
Both the juice and zest go into the sauce, so fresh orange and lemon are doing real work. The juices simmer with the broth, while the zest is stirred in later for a brighter finish.
Use low-sodium broth
The broth reduces for a few minutes with the citrus juices, so low-sodium broth helps keep the sauce from getting too salty after it thickens.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 5. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Skillet Citrus Chicken Tenders
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Once the sauce has thickened slightly and the butter and zests are stirred in, return the chicken to the skillet and toss it through the sauce. Add the parsley right before serving.
A little more help as you go
Add the butter in two places
A little butter starts the garlic and flour base, then the rest goes in after the sauce has simmered. That final butter helps round out the citrusy sauce.
The sauce only thickens slightly
Don’t wait for a heavy gravy. After a short simmer, the sauce should be reduced and just a bit thicker, still loose enough to coat the chicken when it goes back in.
A few questions you might have
Can I use chicken breasts instead of tenderloins?
Yes. Slice the chicken breasts into strips like tenderloins so they cook in the same quick skillet time and are easy to toss with the sauce.
Why does the chicken come out of the pan before making the sauce?
Taking it out keeps the chicken from overcooking while the garlic, flour, broth, and citrus juices turn into a sauce. It goes back in just long enough to get coated.
When do I add the orange and lemon zest?
Add the zests after the sauce has simmered and thickened slightly, along with the remaining butter. They don’t simmer with the juices, which keeps their flavor brighter.
What should I look for before returning the chicken to the skillet?
The sauce should have simmered for about 3 minutes and thickened slightly. It won’t be thick like gravy, but it should coat a spoon more than it did when the liquids first went in.
Do I need to stir the sauce constantly?
Stir constantly when the flour goes in, then stir frequently while the sauce simmers. When you add the broth and citrus juices, keep stirring and scrape the browned bits from the pan.
Any more cooking tips?
If you don't have chicken tenderloins on hand, you can slice chicken breasts up instead. Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: cookingclassy.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
