Got 30 minutes, a couple of lemons and some chicken breasts? Then this juicy (so moist!) and flavorful Baked Lemon Chicken should be your dinner tonight!
Looking for more simple chicken recipes? Some of my favorites are Mango Salsa Chicken, Healthy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Grilled BBQ Chicken, and Sheet Pan Chicken, Potatoes, and Green Beans.
Why This Recipe Works
Easy, healthy weeknight dinner — This healthy baked lemon chicken always turns out well, from the first recipe test to the last time I made it (last night!)! It is juicy, tender, and savory with just the slightest hint of sweetness. Plus, it’s super simple to make. Serve it with pan-roasted garlic asparagus and some air fryer potatoes for an easy, well-rounded meal.
Simple ingredients — Not only is this baked lemon chicken easy to make, but the ingredients are also simple. You probably have them all on hand right now and if you don’t, a quick trip to any grocery store will yield the rest.
Easy to double — Should you find yourself feeding a crowd, this is the simplest chicken recipe to double (or even triple) to feed a crew.
Great for meal prepping — I love to cook once and eat for a few days. (Sometimes even those who cook for a living need a break from cooking.) This baked lemon chicken is a great one to make extra of and store for healthy meals throughout the week.
Ingredients
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts — These are the easiest cuts of chicken to marinate, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as well (see note below).
Butter — Unsalted butter is my go-to but you can also use salted if that’s what you have.
Chicken Broth — I typically choose low-sodium chicken broth because I like to adjust the salt later.
Fresh Lemon Juice — Fresh lemon juice is key here for a bright, tangy, lemony flavor to your chicken. But if you only have bottled, that will work.
Honey — Add just a touch of honey for sweetness.
Minced Garlic — Yes, the jarred stuff is fine! I use it all the time. But if you want to mince your own, then go for it.
Italian Seasoning — I buy Italian seasoning in a jar but you can also use the kind that comes in a packet or substitute Herbs de Provence.
Salt & Pepper — Use salt and pepper to your own taste. I used 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. But maybe you like more of one and less of another, totally up to you.
Fresh Rosemary and Lemon Slices for Garnish — These are totally optional but I like a pretty presentation. If you do too, then try to add fresh herbs and extra lemon slices alongside the baked chicken.
Here’s How You Make It
Are you ready to put together the easiest lemon chicken on the planet? Let’s go.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease your cooking sheet or baking dish. (Use cooking spray for a healthier option.) (not pictured)
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high and add the chicken, cooking on both sides until they are both browned. (This should only take about 2-3 minutes per side.) Then put the chicken on the baking sheet. (photos 1-4)
- Next, whisk together in a small bowl the broth, lemon juice, honey, garlic, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper and pour this over the chicken. (photo 5)
- Stick the pan, sauce and all, in the oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breasts. About every 5-10 minutes, open the oven door and carefully spoon the sauce over the top of the breasts to help bake in the most flavor. (not pictured)
- When it’s done cooking, pull the chicken out of the oven and serve. I like to serve mine with some fresh rosemary and lemon slices, but that’s optional. (photo 6)
There are so many good sides that go with this baked lemon chicken, including:
Rice. Whether you cook white, brown, wild, or a pre-packaged rice pilaf or other rice dish, I think rice always pairs well with chicken.
Egg noodles. I love egg noodles any which way. But cook up a package of them and add a lemon chicken breast to the top then spoon some of the pan juices over that with an extra squeeze of lemon — mmmmm!
Roasted vegetables. If you are not a fan of asparagus, how about broccoli, string beans, or Brussels sprouts?
Potatoes. For another delicious, starchy side option, I always go for potatoes. Mashed, baked, or roasted, you really can’t go wrong with lemon chicken and potatoes.
Salad. Another favorite side of mine is a simple side salad. Use whatever greens and veggies you have on hand to create a one-of-a-kind nutritious veggie dish to munch on in between bites of lemony chicken.
Greens. Or, you could take your heartier greens (kale, spinach, chard) and cook them up or steam them down into a warm, comforting side.
If you only use lemon juice on your chicken, then yes, it can dry it out. That’s why you need to pair the juice with other ingredients, such as chicken broth, honey, and butter to add moisture and fat to the chicken to counteract any drying effects lemon juice might have. What you’re left with is all of the flavor of the lemon chicken and none of that dry, hard-to-chew taste.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- This baked lemon chicken recipe also works well with chicken thighs. If you’re going to use chicken thighs, I recommend medium size, boneless. If you are using skin-on thighs, be sure to brown them in a skillet over medium-high heat first, for about 1-2 minutes per side.
- This baked lemon chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.
- For extra lemony-tasting chicken, you can marinate it for up to two hours in a glass or plastic bowl with a lid or in an airtight plastic bag. I would suggest that you use a lemon marinade instead of straight-up lemon juice that includes olive oil or another fat and some spices to keep the lemon juice from breaking the chicken down and drying it out.
More Lemon Recipes You’ll Love
- Greek Lemon Rice
- One Pot Lemon Chicken and Rice
- One Pan Creamy Lemon Chicken and Asparagus
- Lemon Herb Shrimp and Rice Skillet
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Easy Baked Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste - (I used 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper)
- optional: fresh rosemary and lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet or large casserole dish.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook chicken 2-3 minutes on each side just until browned. Transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl whisk together chicken broth, lemon juice, honey, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper.
- Pour sauce over chicken. Bake 20-30 minutes (closer to 20 for smaller chicken breasts, closer to 30 for larger) until chicken is cooked through. Every 5-10 minutes spoon the sauce from the pan over the chicken.
- Garnish with fresh rosemary and lemon slices if desired and serve.
You should definitely be showing the nutrition, fat and sodium content for your ‘healthy’ recipes. I’ve found another recipe almost ingredient to ingredient and the fat was through the roof and sodium was 1100! I never trust a recipe that claims to be ‘healthy’ when they refuse to showcase the nutritional value easily and ACCESSIBly.
You can easily make this healthy. I just used Pam and a smidge of olive oil, plus lower salt chicken broth. It tasted amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for your input, Amy!
This was the best lemon baked chicken i’ve had. I used smaller tenderS and they turned out juicier than larger breasts would have. I didn’t have italian, so i Used a generous amount of basil, oregano, and thyme. Excellent. Perfect with asparagus!
So thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much! Thank you for sharing your feedback, Meaghan!
worth noting that a tablespoon of butter has 7g saturated fat and this recipe usues 3 of them. daily advised max is 16g. for healthy weight loss, it’s recommended to only have 7% of your calories be from sat fat. try olive oil instead of butter! a tablespoop of olive oil only has 1.9 sat fat and is loaded in healthy fats
Absolutely delicious every time. We love this recipe with white rice and corn.
Thanks for sharing, Donna!
This is amazing, and one of my all time favorite chicken recIpes! I changed some things, only two chicken breasts (tenderizeD with a mallet and cut into pieces about the size of chicken thighs), seasoned them first, put foil on for the first 10-15 minutes, cooked for another 20, basting every 5 minutes, and broiling the last few. I didn’t use Italian seasoning, only thyme and rosemary. I used 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder instead of 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. It’s really good when you use fresh thyme and rosemary (how I did it last time). Just normal things you change from a recipe 🤷🏻♀️😋 but it’s my family’s favorite. ANd Every Kiddo who has ever tRied iT likes it (frIenD’s kids, cousins, stepdaughter, everyone)!!
Way to go, Tawni!