Creamy Lemon Feta Chicken (Printable Version)

Tender chicken and tangy feta combine in a lemon cream sauce with pasta for a quick, elegant dish.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb), cut into bite-sized pieces
03 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
06 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

→ Sauce

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
09 - 3/4 cup heavy cream
10 - 1/4 cup chicken broth
11 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
12 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining and setting aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, season chicken pieces with dried oregano, salt, and pepper, mixing evenly to coat all pieces.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken and sauté for 6-8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a clean plate.
04 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly.
05 - Add lemon zest, lemon juice, heavy cream, and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Whisk in crumbled feta and grated Parmesan cheese until fully melted and the sauce reaches a creamy consistency.
07 - Return cooked chicken to the skillet. Add drained pasta and toss thoroughly to coat with sauce. Add reserved pasta water gradually if the sauce appears too thick.
08 - Stir in fresh parsley and taste the dish. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
09 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately. Garnish with extra feta cheese, fresh parsley, or lemon zest if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in under 40 minutes, which means weeknight dinner without the usual scramble.
  • Feta and cream create this impossibly silky sauce that tastes restaurant-quality but comes from your own kitchen.
  • Lemon keeps everything bright and prevents the dish from feeling heavy, even with all that richness.
02 -
  • Never skip reserving pasta water—that starch is what transforms a pool of cream into something that actually coats the pasta instead of sliding off.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks separated, whisk in a splash of cold cream and lower the heat; it almost always comes back together.
  • The lemon zest matters as much as the juice; don't just squeeze and toss the rind.
03 -
  • Cut your chicken into pieces that are truly bite-sized; they cook faster and feel more elegant on the fork than large chunks.
  • Taste as you adjust seasoning at the end—feta and Parmesan are salty, so you might need less additional salt than expected.
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