Italian Lemon Chicken
Moist chicken, brimming with tangy lemon, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Golden, juicy perfection! The ingredient list may be short, but flavors soar in this one-pan meal.
You can cook this chicken indoors or out! After a quick marinade, this zingy chicken can be cooked indoors or outside on the grill, and the result is a fresh, light, fun shake-up to your regular routine.
A note about the garlic, and one of my culinary secrets. In this recipe, I call for minced dried garlic, which is dehydrated garlic flakes. I find minced dried garlic a quick cook’s best friend on nights when you don’t have the time to peel and mince fresh cloves. When a recipe calls for fresh garlic, substitute 1/2 teaspoon minced dried garlic for each clove. If you have garlic powder, use 1/8 teaspoon powder for every clove of fresh garlic.
What should you serve with your Italian Lemon Chicken? For a complete and filling meal, serve the chicken with your favorite raw or steamed vegetable and a “starchy side”, such as rice, beans, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa, couscous, or whole grain bread.
Italian Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for coating the pan
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced dried garlic, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, or 12 chicken tenders, or 8 chicken thighs, skin removed
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- To prepare the chicken, in a shallow dish or large zip-top bag, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken, seal the bag and turn to coat, pressing the marinade into the meat. If you have the time, marinate for 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- Coat an outdoor grill, grill pan, or skillet with olive oil and preheat to medium-high. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade, and add the chicken to the hot pan. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through (a meat thermometer should register 165 degrees for all cuts of chicken).
- Top the chicken with fresh parsley and serve.