Easy to make and an absolute classic—Lemon Chicken is win-win!
I don’t know who invented Lemon Chicken, but I’m sure glad they did.
It’s easy enough for a weeknight, but it’s elegant enough for company. It’s made with ingredients you probably already have on hand. And it’s delicious.
Ingredients For Lemon Chicken
I like using boneless skinless chicken breasts for this. If you want to substitute chicken thighs or another cut, you will need to adjust the timing. Use an instant read thermometer and check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.
Part of what makes a Lemon Chicken recipe good is a nice amount of lemon without too much tartness. So in addition to lemon juice, mine includes lemon zest—it’s a good way to boost flavor without risking tartness. Plus, we add lemon slices near the end of the bake time.
In addition to the lemon, the sauce is made up of olive oil, butter, garlic, white wine, and fresh herbs. If you’d prefer not to use alcohol, unsalted chicken broth can be substituted for the wine. You can also use dried herbs instead of fresh, if that’s what you have available.
Both lemon and chicken go great with all kinds of herbs. You can use any of the heartier herbs like oregano, thyme, sage, or rosemary, or a combination. Whatever is in your garden or fridge. You could use more delicate herbs as well, like parsley, mint, or cilantro, but add them after baking because they’ll loose their oomph in the oven.
How To Cook Lemon Chicken Breasts
You’ll see some recipes for Lemon Chicken that cook it on the stovetop, some that cook it in the oven, and some that start on the stove and finish in the oven. I’ve even seen some that do a breading with Parmesan cheese, but I wanted to keep this dish lighter (and be lighter on the dirty dishes).
My method makes a simple lemony cooking sauce on the stovetop, then I pour it over my chicken and let the oven do most of the work. I like doing it this way because it leaves me hands-free to put together a side dish or just have a few sips of wine and relax.
You will want to baste the chicken with the lemony juices a couple times during the bake. If you’re using a different cut of chicken, this gives you a good opportunity to check on the internal temperature as well.
In the last 10 minutes, it’s time to add on the lemon slices. Make sure to serve the chicken with plenty of that delicious sauce.
What To Serve With Lemon Chicken
On the side, I like something simple that will also go with the lemony sauce like roasted or mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice and a simply cooked veggie like asparagus or broccoli.
Easy. Delicious. Classic. Done. Yay Lemon Chicken!
More Chicken Breast Recipes
- Best Baked Chicken Breasts
- Creamy Coconut Chicken
- Pesto Chicken
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Balsamic Chicken Breasts
Lemon Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Easy to make and an absolute classic—Lemon Chicken is win-win!
Ingredients
- 3 lemons
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 cup white wine (or unsalted chicken stock)
- 2 Tbsp. butter, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano (or thyme, sage, rosemary, or a combination)*
- 1 tsp. salt, divided
- 4 (7-8 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Meanwhile, zest two of the lemons, then squeeze the lemons to get 3 tablespoons of juice. Slice the remaining lemon. Set the zest, juice, and slices aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring until it melts. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, wine, herbs, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Put the chicken in a baking dish smooth side up. Pour the saucepan mixture on top.
- Sprinkle the chicken with the pepper and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Bake until almost done but not yet browned, about 30 minutes, basting with the juices once or twice.
- Tuck the lemon slices on and around the chicken. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and browned, about 10 minutes.
- Serve the chicken with the lemon slices and pan juices spooned on top.
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Notes
*Note: Instead of the 1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs, use up to 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. You can use 1 teaspoon of a single dried herb, or use a little bit of several dried herbs to make up 1 teaspoon’s worth.
This post originally appeared in October 2019 and was revised and republished in May 2022.