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My Creamy Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce recipe is so delicious and easy to make, that you’ll want to put it on everything from fish to chicken and seafood. Lemon garlic butter sauce is tangy, buttery, and creamy. We dare you to try it and not lick the dish when you’re done!
Jump to:
- Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce
- Lemon Butter Sauce Ingredients
- How to Make Lemon Butter Sauce
- Lemon Butter Cream Sauce Tips
- How to Thicken Lemon Cream Sauce
- White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce Storage
- Reheating Creamy Lemon Sauce
- Lemon Butter Sauce FAQs
- Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish
- Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce for Chicken
- Lemon Butter Pasta Sauce
- Lemon Sauce for Crab Legs
- Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce Uses
- Easy Dinner Ideas
- Butter Sauce Recipes
- Recipe
- Reviews
Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce
You can transform any ordinary dinner recipe into an over-the-top, restaurant-quality dish with the perfect sauce. My creamy butter sauce is that sauce.
What makes this sauce so unique is the addition of a splash of heavy cream. The creaminess of this sauce is just magic! If you’ve ever had Carrabba’s lemon butter sauce, you’ll want to try this recipe. This is not your average sauce recipe; I guarantee you will want to use it for many dishes!
Ready in just 10 minutes with simple ingredients, you’ll wonder where this incredible sauce recipe has been all your life!
I love this sauce. Made it many times now. I’m using it at my work now. I’m cooking for 60 people tonight.
Miriam
Lemon Butter Sauce Ingredients
- Fresh lemons for fresh lemon juice
- butter
- garlic
- white wine or chicken broth
- heavy cream or half-and-half
- salt and pepper
The best thing about making lemon butter sauce from scratch is that it hardly uses any ingredients, but it tastes incredible. You can whip it up in no time and pair it with just about anything for an easy dinner.
Have a dry chicken recipe that just isn’t working out? Pour this sauce on it. Trust me, it will work!
You can even make this lemon butter sauce without wine. Use chicken broth instead!
How to Make Lemon Butter Sauce
- In a skillet or pot over medium-low heat, melt 4 Tbsp. of your butter and add minced garlic.
- Cook garlic down for 2-3 minutes, then squeeze in lemon juice.
- Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, before adding white wine (or chicken broth). Whisk continuously.
- Simmer down for 2-3 minutes, then add in the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Slowly stir in the heavy cream, and mix well. Serve, and enjoy!
Lemon Butter Cream Sauce Tips
- The trick to making a tremendous creamy sauce recipe is to time it well. You want to give all flavors time to develop in the pan before mixing in the other ingredients.
- Most importantly, you want to pour in the heavy cream (or half-and-half) slowly while stirring so that it doesn’t curdle from the heat!
- You can even make this lemon butter sauce without wine. Use chicken broth instead!
This sauce has great flavor! We had it over chicken mozzarella tortellini and it was delicious. I will definitely be making it again and again.
Debbie
How to Thicken Lemon Cream Sauce
Simmer the sauce over low to medium heat, allowing the liquid to evaporate slowly. As the sauce reduces, it will become thicker and more concentrated in flavor. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce Storage
- Cooling: Allow the lemon butter sauce to cool down to room temperature after cooking. It should not be hot when you store it.
- Container: Transfer the sauce to an airtight container. Glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids work well.
- Sealing: Make sure the container is sealed tightly to prevent air from entering, as exposure to air can cause the sauce to spoil more quickly.
- Refrigeration: Store the sauce in the refrigerator. Lemon butter sauce can generally be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Labeling: Consider labeling the container with the date you made the sauce so you can keep track of its freshness.
- I do not recommend freezing Lemon Butter Sauce. It does not freeze and reheat well.
Reheating Creamy Lemon Sauce
- Stovetop: The best way to reheat lemon butter sauce is on the stovetop. Use a small saucepan and heat it over low to medium heat. Stir constantly to prevent the sauce from separating or curdling.
- Low Heat: Keep the heat low and be patient. Slowly warming the sauce will help maintain its creamy texture and prevent it from breaking.
- Add Liquid: If the sauce seems too thick after reheating, you can add a little water, chicken broth, or cream to adjust the consistency. Add it gradually while stirring until you reach the desired thickness.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. You may want to squeeze fresh lemon juice to refresh the flavor.
- Serve: Once the sauce is heated and properly mixed, remove it from the heat and serve it immediately over your dish.
Please avoid using the microwave to reheat lemon butter sauce, as it can cause the sauce to separate or become overly hot in spots.
Lemon Butter Sauce FAQs
You can substitute chicken broth for the wine in this recipe.
One lemon amounts to about 2 to 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice, but lemons vary in size. For this recipe, I recommend using 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or approximately the juice of one lemon.
Yes! This sauce is perfect for a keto meal plan. Serve it with the protein of your choice and a low-carb side dish.
Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish
Fish pairs so well with lemon garlic butter sauce! My favorites to serve it with are tilapia, cod, halibut, scallops, prawns, and shellfish.
Try it with our Sous Vide Salmon or Air Fryer Lobster Tail, we promise you will be hooked on this combination of flavors!
Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce for Chicken
Chicken is a classic for serving with lemon butter sauce. You can kick up any chicken dish with this sauce! My favorite is making Lemon Butter Chicken. This recipe is simply amazing and it’s so easy to make this lemon butter chicken sauce.
Lemon Butter Pasta Sauce
This is the BEST sauce recipe for pasta! Whenever I feel like whipping up a quick and easy dinner I know everyone in the family will love, lemon butter sauce with pasta is near the top of my list.
Simply boil your favorite pasta, prepare this sauce, and mix the two together. It is also delicious with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese over the top.
It is incredible in this orzo risotto recipe or over shrimp and pasta.
Lemon Sauce for Crab Legs
Elevate your crab leg game by serving a side of this sauce! You will wow your guests, and it is an amazingly delicious sauce to dip your crab legs in!
Whether you are preparing steamed crab leg or grilled crab leg, this is a must-try sauce to pair with them! Garlic Butter is also amazing with crab legs.
Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce Uses
- Try one of my favorite Steak Recipes to pair it with.
- I have tried it on my Steak Bites Recipe, and it is amazing!
- It is the perfect topping on Grilled Corn on the Cob and Corn Riblets!
- I love dipping Air Fryer Asparagus in it.
- Mashed Potatoes are amazing when topped with Lemon Butter Sauce.
- Take your Rice Cecipe over the top by using a dollop of this sauce on it!
Easy Dinner Ideas
Butter Sauce Recipes
Recipe
Lemon Butter Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 6 Tbsp. butter divided into 4 Tbsp. and 2 Tbsp.
- 1 Tbsp. garlic minced
- 1 cup white wine or chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream or half & half
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt 4 Tbsp. butter and add minced garlic.
- Cook garlic down for 2-3 minutes, then squeeze in lemon juice.
- Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, before adding white wine (or chicken broth). Stir.
- Simmer down for 2-3 minutes, then add in remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Slowly stir in the heavy cream, and mix well. Serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure to SLOWLY add the cream to the dish, or it will curdle. This is very important!
- You can make this recipe low sodium by using unsalted butter and leaving out the salt. 1 cup will have about 25 mg of sodium using unsalted butter.
- Try adding minced onions, capers, or fresh herbs to mix things up!
James Mcduffy says
would it work without cream ? Add more butter ? I know it won’t be as creamy .
Isabel Laessig says
Hi James! I would recommend using half & half or milk as a replacement for cream if you want to use less cream, but you could certainly use less overall.