Skillet Citrus Chicken Tenders
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These Skillet Citrus Chicken Tenders are incredibly easy to make and come together in 30 minutes! These chicken tenders can be served with your choice of rice, noodles, salad, steamed veggies and more!
Easy Citrus Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders with bright citrus flavors! Who doesn’t love a quick and easy skillet chicken recipe? Skillet chicken has become a go-to dinner option for me because we eat a lot of lean chicken around here and it’s one of the quickest ways to cook it.
No waiting for a grill or oven to preheat, no long cooking times, just a delicious, flavorful chicken dinner that’s ready in no time!
This is a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, the only thing I did differently from what they did is swap out the vegetable oil for olive oil since it’s a healthier alternative (you could also cut the butter back to 1 Tbsp at the end and it would still be delicious).
You could easily make this gluten-free by using 1 1/2 tsp of cornstarch instead of the 1 Tbsp flour, but rather than making a roux with the flour simply mix the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of the broth before adding.
Make good use of all those navel oranges that are in season and try this soon. This is a chicken tenderloin recipe you don’t want to miss out on!
You’ll love these vibrant citrus flavors paired with that buttery, garlicky sauce and you’ll love that it’s simple yet utterly delicious!
Citrus Chicken Ingredients
For this easy chicken tenderloin recipe, you’ll need:
- Chicken tenderloins
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Butter
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth
- Orange zest and juice
- Lemon zest and juice
- Fresh parsley
How to Cook Chicken Tenderloins
- Heat oil in skillet, then season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Cook chicken in skillet for 2 to 3 minutes per side over medium-high heat.
- Remove cooked chicken from skillet and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Melt butter in skillet, then sauté garlic. Slowly pour in broth, orange juice and lemon juice.
- Let mixture reduce slightly, then stir in orange and lemon zest. Return chicken to skillet and toss to coat in sauce.
What Should I Serve With This?
I think this citrus chicken would pair nicely with couscous, orzo or rice. The citrus flavors also go well with steamed broccoli and asparagus!
How Do I Know When Chicken Tenderloins Are Done?
Chicken tenderloins cook quite quickly, and you don’t want to over cook them or else they’ll become tough and rubbery. You’ll know when the chicken tenderloins are finished cooking once they’re no longer pink in the center.
Tips for the Best Citrus Chicken
- If you don’t have chicken tenderloins on hand, you can slice chicken breasts up instead.
- Make sure to wash the lemon and orange under warm water before zesting them.
- I prefer using low-sodium chicken broth in this recipe so that I can control how much salt goes into this dish.
More Chicken Tenderloin Recipes You’ll Love:
- One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies
- Sheet Pan Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Tenders
- Crispy Baked Chicken Strips
More Easy Chicken Recipes to Try:
- Honey Sesame Chicken
- Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta
- Chicken Avocado Caesar Salad Wrap
- Grilled Greek Lemon Chicken
- Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Follow Easy Cooking Zone
Skillet Citrus Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1.75 lbs chicken tenderloins (I just sliced chicken breasts into strips)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp butter, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season both sides of chicken tenders with salt and pepper and add half of them to skillet and cook about 2 - 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through and golden brown.
- Transfer chicken to a plate, cover with aluminum foil and repeat process with remaining half of the chicken tenders. Remove remaining chicken from skillet and transfer to plate also.
- Melt 1 Tbsp butter in now empty skillet then add garlic and saute 15 seconds then add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly pour in chicken broth, orange juice and lemon juice while scrapping up browned bits from bottom of pan and stirring constantly.
- Allow mixture to simmer, stirring frequently about 3 minutes, or until reduced and thickened slightly. Stir remaining 2 Tbsp butter, in orange zest and lemon zest.
- Return chicken to skillet, toss with sauce and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don't have chicken tenderloins on hand, you can slice chicken breasts up instead.
- Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated.