Easy lemon cream sauce is rich, buttery, and bright with the citrusy zing from fresh lemons—perfect for drizzling over fish, pasta, chicken, or roasted veggies. Made with just a few ingredients in minutes, it's a weeknight dinner upgrade with weekend vibes.
My prep ahead macadamia halibut is one of the most popular special occasion recipes on this entire site. I love to serve it for Easter, Valentine's Day, or for birthday dinner requests whenever my mom or husband asks for it.
The signature element to the dish is this rich and delicious lemon cream sauce that gets drizzled over the top. We love how the wild rice pilaf and roasted asparagus taste with the sauce, just as much as we love it over the fish.
But this simple recipe doesn't need to be reserved for just the halibut. There are so many other ways you could use it to turn an average dinner into a special event so I decided it was time to share the recipe separately from that original dinner idea.
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Quick & Elegant: Comes together in under 10 minutes for an instant flavor boost.
- Simple Ingredients: Just butter, cream, lemon, and a pinch of seasoning—nothing fancy!
- Versatile Sauce: Use it on seafood, pasta, chicken, or even roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
This short ingredient list packs a lot of flavor:
- Butter: I prefer to use salted butter for this recipe to deepen the flavor.
- Heavy Cream
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Use a large lemon or 2 small Meyer lemons for a sweeter orange-lemon flavor.
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
Squeeze the Lemon Juice
Fresh lemons give the best flavor to this super-quick sauce. I always squeeze the lemon juice in advance so I can pour it in quickly at the end.
How to Make the Sauce
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the butter until fully melted and just beginning to bubble.
Whisk in the heavy cream. Keep whisking until the sauce looks smooth and slightly thickened.
Let the sauce come to a bubble while whisking the entire time.
Pour in the lemon juice and continue to cook until the cream has thickened slightly and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Add a pinch of kosher salt and pepper, whisk them in. Taste test and adjust the seasoning as needed.
You can keep the sauce warm over a very low heat, whisking occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on top, until you're ready to serve your main dish.
Storage Tips
Reheating: Lemon cream sauce is best served fresh, but you can make it up to a day ahead. Reheat the sauce gently over low heat, whisking in just a splash of cream if needed to revive the silky texture.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Variations
- Garlic Lemon Sauce: Add a clove of minced garlic when melting the butter.
- Herb Lemon Sauce: Stir in fresh chopped parsley, dill, or basil for an herby kick.
- Parmesan Cream Sauce: My parmesan cream sauce is a cheesy variation on this simple dinner sauce.
Serving Suggestions
I always serve this creamy lemon sauce when I make my family's favorite macadamia crusted halibut. It pairs really well with a side of parmesan roasted asparagus or lemony air fryer green beans.
You could also serve it over seasoned oven baked salmon or elevate these simple air fryer shrimp for a classy entree.
Juicy baked chicken breasts sliced against the grain and served over a bed of pasta or rice would taste lovely with a drizzle of this lemon sauce over the top!
You could even use this as a simple pasta sauce, the recipe makes enough to coat one pound of prepared pasta.
More Easy Sauce Recipes
The quickest way to dress up a delicious cut of meat or fish is to drizzle a little sauce over the top. Here are some of our family's favorites:
📖 Recipe
Lemon Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 large lemon or 2 small meyer lemons, juiced
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the butter to a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Melt the butter until it just begins to bubble.
- Pour in the heavy cream and whisk to combine. Continue to cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Pour in the lemon juice and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add a pinch of salt & pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm until you're ready to serve your main dish.
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