Chicken breast is marinated in lemon, garlic, and herbs, then baked until crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Baked lemon chicken is fancy enough for a special evening, yet easy enough for dinner anytime.
I typically serve this chicken on a weekend night, as the chicken marinates for two hours prior to baking.
Ingredients:
Lemon: Using both the juice and zest really intensifies the flavor. I use my citrus zester all the time for lemons and limes. There is so much flavor in the zest!
Garlic: Garlic is wonderful with lemon and chicken and practically every savory dish.
Thyme & Rosemary: My favorite herbs to use with chicken. Fresh herbs are always wonderful, but dried will do the job too. The dried herbs will rehydrate in the marinade and during the baking process to produce great flavor.
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper: Brings out all the flavor.
Chicken Breast: One large bone-in, skin-on chicken breast is a perfect size for dinner for the two of us.
Olive Oil: Drizzled over the chicken before baking to help the chicken brown and the skin to get crispy.
Instructions
Two hours before you want to bake the chicken, you will want to make the marinade. Simply combine the ingredients in a resealable bag. Add the chicken and take a minute to swish the chicken around to assure all surfaces are covered with marinade.
Two hours is the ideal time to marinate chicken in citrus. The meat will be well infused with flavor. Too much time can make the chicken mushy.
When you are ready to bake the chicken, be sure to reserve the marinade when you pull the chicken from the bag. Halfway through baking, the marinade is poured over the meat, which really enhances the flavor.
To complete your baked lemon chicken dinner, serve with a baked potato and a side of vegetables like green beans or broccoli.
Baked Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 large lemon juice and zest
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 large bone-in skin-on chicken breast
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a sealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake well to blend. Place the chicken in the bag with the marinade and seal the bag. Swish the chicken around in the marinade to assure all surfaces are covered. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 ℉. Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up. Reserve the leftover marinade in the refrigerator. Drizzle the chicken lightly with olive oil.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the skins are crispy and well-browned. Halfway through baking, pull the chicken out of the oven and pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Return the chicken to the oven until cooked through.
- Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before serving.
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