Make our family favorite, light and flavorful lemon chicken! This lemon chicken recipe is naturally low carb and gluten free – the perfect healthy weeknight meal.
You’re going to love this amazing baked lemon chicken! It’s made with just a few ingredients, and unlike so many other recipes it takes less than 5 minutes hands-on time.
Baking is what makes this easy lemon chicken recipe so juicy! It’s baked to perfection, sealing it the moisture without the effort. It’s super easy – even a novice cook can whip this chicken recipe up flawlessly!
This is a simplified version of classic lemon chicken. I spent many years in my catering career testing to perfection, and finally nailed the perfect blend of Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken Breasts and my classic Baked Chicken Breast recipe. This one always receives rave reviews from friends, family and readers.
With this method there is no need to marinate – the flavor bakes right in! Why over-complicate it? No fuss, no mess!
This chicken is delicious! I also sautéed some sliced baby portobello mushrooms in the sauce in a frying pan then topped some of the chicken breasts. I served the meal and there were no leftovers! Fabulous! (I also used whatever white wine I found in a single serving size at the grocery store.)
– becca –
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
One Dish Wonder – Combine and bake in a baking dish, slice and serve! It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Healthy – Low in calories per serving and packed with protein. It’s so good you’d never believe it, and it’s low carb and low fat too.
Quick – Just 40 minutes start to finish, with just 5 minutes hands-on time. To see just how easy it is, watch the video in this post!
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can easily sub with chicken thighs in this recipe, though it changes the cooking time.
- Olive Oil – Good quality extra virgin olive oil seals in the moisture to create juicy chicken breasts.
- Minced Garlic – Learn how to mince garlic here.
- White Wine – You’re looking for a dry, acidic white wine here. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and white cooking wine are all good choices!
- Lemons– You’ll use lemon juice, lemon zest and slices of lemon for this recipe.
- Dried Oregano and Thyme
- Salt and Pepper – I love using salt and pepper in a grinder for thick flakes to add a little texture.
Variations
- Add pepper with a few variations to create our Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Skip the white wine and use chicken stock or veggie stock instead
Test Kitchen Tips
This recipe specifies dried herbs, but you can also use fresh! If you use fresh herbs instead, use 3x the amount specified to add the correct seasoning.
It’s important to let your chicken rest before slicing. This locks in the juices and allows it to continue cooking for a bit longer – it’s the secret to juicy chicken breasts!
Serving Suggestions
Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon minced garlic
- ⅓ cup white wine (sub with chicken or vegetable stock)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest of 1-2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon thyme dried
- 3 chicken breasts (6-8 ounces each)
- 1 lemon Sliced, for garnish
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- In a 9×13 baking dish combine olive oil, minced garlic, white wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoon minced garlic, ⅓ cup white wine, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Place chicken breasts in baking dish, using a spoon to drizzle the lemon sauce on top of the chicken. Top chicken breasts with oregano and thyme.1½ teaspoons oregano, ½ teaspoon thyme, 3 chicken breasts, 1 lemon
- Place lemon slices around the chicken in the baking dish.
- Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and coat again with the lemon sauce in the pan.
- Allow chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes to continue to cook and seal in the juices. Season with fresh cracked sea salt and pepper. Slice or dice, serve and enjoy.salt and pepper
Julie’s Tips
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken Breasts – You can easily sub with chicken thighs in this recipe, though it changes the cooking time. Use a digital meat thermometer to ensure doneness.
- White Wine – You’re looking for a dry, acidic white wine here. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and white cooking wine are all good choices!
Storage Notes
You can refrigerate baked chicken for up to 3 days, wrapped in plastic wrap or an airtight container. Or, store in the freezer for 3 months. This chicken is wonderful in salads, pasta dishes, soups, wraps and more!Video
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
What is the extra lemon for? Garnish?
Hi Liz,
This recipe uses both lemon juice and lemon zest. We add a few extra slices into the baking dish for a pretty garnish!
You can find all the ingredients and step by step instructions in the printable recipe card.
Enjoy!
Julie
Would it work to onit the white whine?
Hi Leslie!
Yes, this recipe would work without it. If you’d like, you can use a little veggie or chicken stock in place of it.
I hope that helps – enjoy!
Julie
The hubby loved it! Its fresh with tons of flavor!
So easy and so delish! Thanks for sharing!
I love to make lemon chicken. It is so simple and tastes so good. I always make extra to have on salad for lunch. I’ll have to try your recipe next time though. I usually just kind throw it together willy nilly.
This chicken is delicious! My chicken needed a little bit longer though because I added more chicken breasts. I also sautéed some sliced baby portobello mushrooms in the sauce in a frying pan then topped some of the chicken breasts. I served the meal and there were no leftovers! Fabulous! (I also used whatever white wine I found in a single serving size at the grocery store.)
Sounds like a delicious twist! Thanks for sharing, Becca!