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My Creamy Lemon 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. I dare you to try it and not lick the dish when you're done!
Jump to:
- Creamy Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
- Creamy Lemon Butter Sauce Ingredients
- How to Make Lemon Butter Sauce
- Wine Lemon Butter Sauce Tips
- How to Thicken Lemon Butter Sauce
- White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce Storage
- Reheating Creamy Lemon Sauce
- Lemon Butter Sauce FAQs
- Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish
- Lemon Sauce for Chicken
- Lemon Butter Pasta Sauce
- Butter for Crab Legs
- Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce Uses
- Easy Dinner Ideas
- Butter Sauce Recipes
- Lemon Butter Sauce
- Reviews
Creamy Lemon Garlic 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, especially Lemon Chicken!
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
Creamy 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!
Wine Lemon Butter 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!
- Please avoid using the microwave to reheat lemon butter sauce, as it can cause the sauce to separate or become overly hot in spots.
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 Butter 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 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 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 adequately mixed, remove it 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 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 fantastic, 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.
Butter 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 incredible!
- It is the perfect topping for 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
Elevate your meals with this rich, velvety lemon butter sauce bursting with zesty citrus flavor and buttery goodness. Perfect for drizzling over seafood, chicken, pasta, or roasted vegetables, this versatile sauce will transform even the simplest dish into a gourmet experience. Whether you're hosting Sunday dinner with family or looking to impress guests, this quick and easy recipe will become a family favorite.
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!
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!
Marjie says
It was tasty but didn’t thicken up. I had to add corn starch. I thought using heavy cream would have been enough to thicken it. I’ll be making it again though, thanks.
Em Beitel says
We're so glad you enjoyed it and will be making it again! Thank you for your comment!
Heather says
Do you think this would freeze well? I’m thinking of making frozen ice cubes of this without the cream…add the cream when ready to use. I have lots of lemons to use up!
Em Beitel says
Hi Heather! I would personally not recommend freezing this, even without the cream.
Cheryl says
The sauce was very tasty, but didn’t thicken up. Id like it to be thick enough to not just be a puddle on the plate once I’ve poured it on the fish.
Em Beitel says
Hi Cheryl! In the future my recommendation would be to let it continue to cook until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, or to thicken it using a bit of flour or cornstarch if you find it still isn't thickening to your liking. We're glad you enjoyed it!
Debbie says
This sauce has great flavor! We had it over chicken mozarella tortellini and it was delicious. I will definitely be making again. Also, I didn't have heavy cream so used half and half which made the sauce thin, but I just added my pasta into the sauce and all was perfect! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Em Beitel says
That's awesome, Debbie! We're so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!
Gwyn Linster says
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this sauce. It was fabulous over your lemon chicken recipe. I meant to add capers, just because but I forgot. Next time! I did thicken it up with some cornstarch.
This is such a versatile sauce and it will go over about any kind of meat, poultry or seafood. It's a keeper! Thank you!
Em Beitel says
That is so awesome, Gwyn! Thank you so much for leaving such an incredible comment!
Lyndsay says
Pretty good recipe. It didn’t thicken up so I used flour. I found it to be a tad too sour so I added some sugar (about a tablespoon) and it came out delicious.
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Lyndsay! We're glad you enjoyed it!
Eliska Welch says
I have made it twice now to be sauce for asparagus. But I ended up using it on everything. We grilled ribeye steak and OMG the steak was good without anything but dipped in the sauce it was spectacular. One of the best sauce I have ever had, I made it a little thicker. Thanks for the recipe.
Em Beitel says
Eliska, this is so awesome to hear! Thank you so much for your comment, we're glad you enjoyed it!
Becky says
Can this sauce be made ahead?
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Becky! You could definitely make this sauce ahead, though I would only do so 1-2 days beforehand. It's likely to separate, so I recommend reheating it on the stove over low heat and stirring to bring it back to the correct texture. Enjoy!
Lawrence Barlow says
Do have a recommendation on which white wine to use? I use the chicken broth all the time, but I will have a reason to need to use wine in the future, and would consider myself clueless! Thank you!
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Lawrence! Thank you so much for your comment. As for what white wine to use, I would personally use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay. Enjoy!
Dawn Aurora says
Thank you!! Your recipe/ingredients/instructions managed to resurrect an utterly HORRIFIC garlic lemon wine sauce that I had just made but was ready to toss out. The tips for how and when to add the cream were particularly helpful, and I never knew that adding heavy cream would enhance the flavors so much! I received rave reviews for my seared salmon with broccoli, and I made sure to give you full credit 🙂
Isabel Laessig says
Dawn, I am so happy to hear this! I have had to save so many sauces and know exactly what you mean. Thank you so much for leaving a comment to let me know!