Lemon Garlic Chicken with Spaghetti

Crispy lemon garlic chicken with spaghetti is an easy 30-minute dinner made with golden breaded chicken, lemon garlic butter, mozzarella, and spaghetti.

Prep 15

Cook time 15

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Crispy Lemon Garlic Chicken with Spaghetti is an easy 30-minute dinner with golden, crunchy chicken served over buttery lemon garlic spaghetti. The chicken is tender inside, crisp outside, and coated with garlic butter, fresh parsley, and lemon. Mozzarella adds a cheesy finish to the spaghetti for a dinner the whole family will enjoy.

Looking for more quick dinner recipes and chicken ideas? Be sure to browse the 30-minute meal collection and lunch favorites on Call Me Pmc for even more easy food recipes.

A plate of crispy lemon garlic chicken cutlets served on a bed of spaghetti tossed with pesto sauce, garnished with chopped parsley and a lemon wedge. A fork rests on the side of the bowl.

What is crispy lemon garlic chicken with spaghetti?

Crispy lemon garlic chicken with spaghetti is a 30-minute chicken pasta dinner made with breaded pan-fried chicken and spaghetti tossed with homemade lemon garlic butter and mozzarella. Fresh parsley and lemon finish the dish.

Why You’ll Love This Crispy Lemon Garlic Chicken

This is the kind of chicken pasta recipe that feels like a complete meal without requiring hours in the kitchen.

The chicken is pounded thin so it cooks quickly and evenly. It gets coated in homemade lemon-garlic butter before being breaded and pan-fried until golden and crispy.

The spaghetti is just as easy. Toss hot pasta with the remaining garlic butter, mozzarella, fresh parsley, and a little lemon. Then pile the crispy chicken on top.

A few things make this recipe especially good:

Ready in 30 minutes.
The chicken has a crispy breadcrumb coating.
Fresh lemon and garlic add plenty of flavor.
The same garlic butter is used for the chicken and pasta.
Spaghetti makes this a filling one-dish dinner.
Panko breadcrumbs can be used for extra crunch.
It works with chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Lemon Garlic Butter

butter
garlic cloves
fresh parsley
lemon
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Chicken

chicken breasts or thighs
all-purpose flour
oregano
smoked paprika
salt
black pepper
large eggs, beaten
breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil or olive oil

Spaghetti

spaghetti
mozzarella
Fresh parsley
Lemon wedges or slices
Salt

Raw chicken breasts, uncooked pasta, eggs, butter, flour, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, garlic cloves, herbs, lemon halves, and seasoning are arranged neatly on a light countertop—perfect for preparing crispy lemon garlic chicken.

How to Make Crispy Lemon Garlic Chicken with Spaghetti

Garlic butter
Add the butter, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and juice from half a lemon to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Prepare the chicken
Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken to about 1 inch thick.
Brush each chicken breast lightly with the lemon garlic butter. Don’t use all of the butter. Reserve the remaining garlic butter for the spaghetti.
Prepare the breading
Add the breadcrumbs, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to a shallow dish. Mix.
Place the flour in a second shallow dish.
Add the beaten eggs to a third dish.
Bread the chicken
Dip each chicken breast into the beaten egg.
Next, coat it in flour.
Return the chicken to the egg.
Finally, press it into the seasoned breadcrumbs, making sure the crumbs cover the chicken well.
Fry the chicken
Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, carefully add the breaded chicken.
Cook until golden brown and crispy on the first side. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is golden and the chicken is cooked through.
Cook the spaghetti
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
Drain well but don’t rinse.
Finish
Add the remaining lemon garlic butter to the hot pasta and toss.
Add the shredded mozzarella and stir until the cheese begins to melt. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Assemble
Transfer the spaghetti to a large serving bowl or platter.
Slice the crispy chicken and arrange it over the spaghetti.
Sprinkle generously with fresh parsley and serve with additional lemon.
Serve immediately while the chicken is hot and crispy.

Tips for the Best Crispy Chicken

Pound the chicken evenly. This helps the chicken cook at the same rate and keeps thicker areas from taking much longer to cook.

Don’t skip the seasoning. The flour and breadcrumbs both need seasoning so the crispy coating has flavor all the way through.

Use panko for extra crunch. Regular breadcrumbs work well, but panko gives the chicken a lighter, crunchier coating.

Don’t overcrowd the skillet. If necessary, cook the chicken in batches. Too many pieces in the pan can lower the oil temperature and keep the chicken from getting crispy.

Let the chicken rest. Give it a few minutes after frying before slicing. This also gives you time to finish the spaghetti.

Serve the chicken on top. Keeping the crispy chicken above the pasta helps prevent the breadcrumb coating from becoming soggy.

Can I Use Chicken Thighs?

Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well in this recipe. They are naturally juicy and flavorful.

For the most even cooking, pound thicker thighs to a similar thickness before breading.

Can I Use Panko Breadcrumbs?

Absolutely. Panko is my first choice if you want especially crispy lemon garlic chicken.

Regular breadcrumbs give you a more traditional breaded chicken coating, while panko creates larger, crunchier crumbs.

What Kind of Pasta Can I Use?

Spaghetti works especially well because the lemon garlic butter coats the long noodles.

However, you can substitute:

Linguine
Fettuccine
Angel hair
Bucatini
Penne
Rotini

Use whatever pasta you have in your pantry.

Can I Make This Recipe Ahead?

You can prepare the lemon garlic butter and bread the chicken a few hours ahead of time. Keep the prepared chicken refrigerated until you’re ready to cook.

For the best texture, cook the chicken and pasta just before serving.

The chicken can also be refrigerated after cooking. Keep it in an airtight container and reheat it in an oven, air fryer, or skillet rather than the microwave if you want to bring back some of the crisp texture.

What to Serve with Lemon Garlic Chicken and Spaghetti

This is already a complete meal, but a simple vegetable or salad makes a great addition.

Try:

For another lemon-forward chicken and pasta dinner, try my Best Lemon Chicken Piccata Pasta. It uses lemon, butter, pasta, chicken, and fresh parsley in a completely different way. My Ravioli Piccata is a budget-friendly meatless main.

How to Store Lemon Garlic Chicken with Spaghetti

For the best texture, store the crispy chicken and spaghetti separately. The chicken will lose some of its crispiness if it sits in the buttery pasta.

Refrigerate: Place the chicken and spaghetti in separate airtight containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
Chicken: Store for up to 3–4 days in the refrigerator.
Spaghetti: Store for up to 3–4 days in the refrigerator.
Reheating chicken: Reheat in an air fryer or oven at 375°F until heated through. This helps restore some of the crisp coating.
Reheating spaghetti: Warm gently in a skillet or microwave. Add a small splash of water or broth if the pasta seems dry.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing the assembled dish. The mozzarella spaghetti can become watery, and the crispy chicken won’t retain its original texture.

For the best leftovers: Keep the crispy chicken separate and place it on top of the reheated spaghetti just before serving.

Sliced crispy lemon garlic chicken breast on a bed of spaghetti, garnished with parsley and lemon wedges, served on a white plate. Text overlay reads “Lemon Garlic Chicken with Spaghetti.”.

Crispy lemon garlic chicken, perfectly sliced and served on a bed of spaghetti with vibrant green sauce, is garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges. A fork rests beside the plate. Text overlay reads “Lemon Garlic Chicken with Spaghetti.”.

More Chicken Pasta Recipes

If chicken and pasta are regulars on your dinner menu, add these to your list:

You can also browse more ideas in my Pasta Recipes collection.

Chart listing chicken types with weights and approximate cooking times for roasting, simmering, and grilling—including special options like Teriyaki pineapple grilled chicken. Times vary by type: whole, pieces, or wings. Note on resting chicken after cooking is included at the bottom.

Crispy Lemon Garlic Chicken with Spaghetti Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep breaded chicken crispy?

Use enough oil to properly brown the chicken, don’t overcrowd the pan, and cook over medium heat. After cooking, place the chicken on a wire rack or plate rather than stacking the pieces on top of each other.

What makes chicken crispy?

A dry, seasoned coating and hot oil are key. Panko breadcrumbs can make the coating even crunchier. Pounding the chicken to an even thickness also helps because it allows the outside to brown without overcooking the inside.

Can I bake the chicken instead of frying it?

Yes. Place the breaded chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet or wire rack and bake at 425°F until golden and the chicken reaches 165°F internally. The texture may be slightly different from pan-fried chicken, but it is still a good option.

Can I use pre-shredded mozzarella?

Yes. Pre-shredded mozzarella works for convenience. Freshly shredded mozzarella generally melts more smoothly, but either works in this spaghetti recipe.

How long does lemon garlic chicken last in the refrigerator?

Store leftover chicken and spaghetti separately in airtight containers for up to 3–4 days. Reheat the chicken separately when possible to help maintain its crisp coating.

Why This Is a Great 30-Minute Dinner

There are a few shortcuts built right into this recipe. The chicken is pounded thin so it cooks quickly, the garlic butter can be made in minutes, and the spaghetti cooks while you’re working on the chicken.

That makes this crispy lemon garlic chicken with spaghetti a practical weeknight dinner when you want something more exciting than plain chicken and noodles.

The combination of crunchy chicken, buttery garlic spaghetti, mozzarella, fresh parsley, and lemon gives you a full dinner from a short list of ingredients.