Lemon Butter Sauce | Creme De La Crumb

The condiment to end all condiments, this lemon butter sauce is creamy, lemony, garlicky, thick, rich, and is the most perfect sauce ever for all the meats, seafood, and pasta. The best part? It only takes 15 minutes to make!

cooked salmon with butter sauce on top and lemon slices

Craving more condiments like this one? Check out my popular posts for Easy Garlic Aioli, Greek Yogurt Alfredo Sauce, and Dallas BBQ Sauce.

I’m just a saucy kinda gal, what can I say? I make a lot of sauces, but I usually make them to accompany a specific dish. But when a craving hit for something smothered in lemon sauce, I knew I had to make the sauce first and smother something second. And I’m so glad I did because we’ve been eating this lemon butter sauce on all the things, every. single. day. this week. I cannot get enough, and I have a feeling you won’t be able to either!

ingredients for lemon butter sauce on a tabletop

Why this Recipe Works

Fast, easy, delicious: Just a few of the reasons this lemon butter sauce is THE BEST.

Lemons — I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love the taste of lemon. I mean, it’s so good right? And, while I prefer fresh lemon juice, bottled lemon juice will work just fine in a pinch!

Butter — Butter is the key here (it’s lemon BUTTER after all) and there’s really no substitution for it in my mind. It’s what makes this lemon sauce creamy, tasty, and finger-licking-good!

Fast — There’s just no faster way to make a sauce that’s as versatile as this, believe me I tried! But 15 minutes, that’s pretty quick right? Plus, the faster the sauce, the faster you get to eat it!

Chicken broth — I use chicken broth to bulk up the sauce, give it a tiny bit of brothy flavor, and help give it a smooth consistency.

Easy storage — Put this sauce in an airtight container and store in the fridge up to one week, or freeze up to three months!

Here’s How you Make it

Melt butter over medium heat in a medium-size saucepan.
Stir in the garlic for about 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Stir.
Bring the sauce to a simmer. Let it cook for about 4-6 minutes or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and cracked black pepper and serve!

What Does Adding Butter to a Sauce Do?

Adding butter to this lemon butter sauce adds fat to the sauce and it also helps to thicken and smooth out the consistency of the sauce. It’ll get that olive oily texture without adding any oil if you cook it correctly. Butter acts as a vehicle to deliver that lemony goodness right to your taste buds.

Ideas for Serving Lemon Butter Sauce

Chicken is amazing with butter sauce on top! Add some slices of lemon for garnish and a little extra lemon flavor. Add rice to soak up more of that sauce too if you like. Oh my.
Lemon butter sauce is also fabulous on top of almost all seafoods: tuna, swordfish, tilapia, trout, you name it.
And shellfish like shrimp or scallops with lemon sauce? Heaven.
Vegetarian dishes are good with this sauce as well. Pour on top of cheese ravioli or tortellini, mix into mac and cheese, or elevate even plain old spaghetti with this sauce.
Veggies become an even bigger hit in this house when topped with this sauce. Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, Brussels sprouts, and especially steamed artichokes are wonderful dipped in lemon butter sauce.

Expert Tips

Don’t leave the sauce unattended. You need to make sure it’s not cooking at too high a temperature or it’ll brown. Every stove top varies so keep an eye on that sauce, stirring once in a while to keep it mixed together while it thickens.
Use fresh lemons whenever possible. The fresh juice lends such a brightness and crispness to the sauce, I think if you try it once to compare you’ll really be able to tell the difference!
Add lemon juice a bit at a time. Start with the juice of half a lemon and add more to your tastes if you like. Remember you can always add more lemon in but it’s impossible to take it back out if it’s overly sour.
If you do not have fresh or minced garlic, you can substitute a teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
Reheating instructions: Take out only what you plan on using from the fridge. For best results, microwave about 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between intervals until the sauce is just heated back through. Or, reheat over medium-low on the stove.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Stir in garlic for 1-2 minutes til fragrant.
Stir in lemon juice, chicken broth, and heavy cream.
Bring sauce to a simmer. Cook 4-6 minutes til sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Serve sauce over chicken, seafood, or pasta. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and cracked black pepper if desired.

Don’t leave the sauce unattended. You need to make sure it’s not cooking at too high a temperature or it’ll brown. Every stove top varies so keep an eye on that sauce, stirring once in a while to keep it mixed together while it thickens.
Use fresh lemons whenever possible. The fresh juice lends such a brightness and crispness to the sauce, I think if you try it once to compare you’ll really be able to tell the difference!
Add lemon juice a bit at a time. Start with the juice of half a lemon and add more to your tastes if you like. Remember you can always add more lemon in but it’s impossible to take it back out if it’s overly sour.
If you do not have fresh or minced garlic, you can substitute a teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
Reheating instructions: Take out only what you plan on using from the fridge. For best results, microwave about 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between intervals until the sauce is just heated back through. Or, reheat over medium-low on the stove.