Why you’ll love it
Quick, bright and a little bit fancy, this one-pan pistachio & lemon chicken is the kind of midweek dinner that makes the whole evening feel like a treat without any extra fuss. I first made this on a frantic school-night and my lot declared it restaurant food — so it’s now a regular, because who doesn’t want an easy win that actually impresses? The glossy lemon-honey glaze lifts the simple sear while the chopped pistachios add the sort of buttery crunch you won’t stop picking at, and it genuinely looks like you’ve spent far more time on it than you have. Serve it with couscous and a glass of something chilled — that’s my perfect weeknight treat!
Serves: 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 12–15 minutes
Total: ~20 minutes
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken breast fillets (about 4 small breasts, or 3 large breasts)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 80 g shelled pistachios, toasted and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon (zest reserved separately)
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for finishing)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Small handful parsley, chopped
Equipment
- Large frying pan or skillet with lid
- Knife & board
Method
- Prep pistachio crumb: Toast pistachios briefly, then chop finely and mix with a pinch of lemon zest. Set aside.
- Season & sear: Pat chicken dry, season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in the pan over medium-high. Add chicken and cook 4–6 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until golden and almost cooked through. Remove to plate.
- Make glaze in the same pan: Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and sauté 30 seconds, add lemon juice, honey and butter (if using) and stir to form a glossy sauce. Return chicken to pan, spoon glaze over and cook 1–2 minutes to finish.
- Finish with crumb: Sprinkle chopped pistachio crumb and chopped parsley over the chicken, scatter remaining lemon zest and serve immediately.
Storage & Tips
- Cooked chicken keeps in the fridge 2 days; reheat gently and add extra pistachio crumb after reheating to preserve crunch.
- For extra crust, press pistachio crumb onto chicken before the second side cooks and finish in the pan.
Nutrition — per serving (recipe makes 4 servings)
Assumptions: recipe includes 600 g raw chicken breast, 2 tbsp olive oil (≈28 g), 80 g pistachios, 2 cloves garlic (~6 g), juice + zest of 1 lemon (~30 g), 1 tbsp honey (≈21 g) and 1 tbsp unsalted butter (14 g). Values are estimates (see notes below).
| Nutrient | Amount per serving |
|---|---|
| Energy | ≈ 467 kcal |
| Protein | ≈ 50.9 g |
| Fat — total | ≈ 24.3 g |
| — of which saturated | ≈ 5.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | ≈ 11.1 g |
| — of which sugars | ≈ 6.1 g |
| Fibre | ≈ 2.4 g |
| Sodium | ≈ 112 mg |
One-Pan Pistachio & Lemon Chicken (10-Minute Weeknight Win)
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep pistachio crumb: Toast pistachios briefly, then chop finely and mix with a pinch of lemon zest. Set aside.
- Season & sear: Pat chicken dry, season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in the pan over medium-high. Add chicken and cook 4–6 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until golden and almost cooked through. Remove to plate.
- Make glaze in the same pan: Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and sauté 30 seconds, add lemon juice, honey and butter (if using) and stir to form a glossy sauce. Return chicken to pan, spoon glaze over and cook 1–2 minutes to finish.
- Finish with crumb: Sprinkle chopped pistachio crumb and chopped parsley over the chicken, scatter remaining lemon zest and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
- Cooked chicken keeps in the fridge 2 days; reheat gently and add extra pistachio crumb after reheating to preserve crunch.
- For extra crust, press pistachio crumb onto chicken before the second side cooks and finish in the pan.
