Lemon Pepper Chicken
This quick-and-easy dish boasts the same great flavor found in the store-bought seasoning (lemon and herbs), but it’s made with fresh lemon, so it’s vibrant, tangy, and fabulous.
Lemon pepper seasoning is a spice rack staple for most people. And that makes sense because the herbal blend contains dried lemon zest, aromatics like onion and garlic, salt, and black pepper. It’s a one-stop-shop for flavor. That said, when you craft a similar seasoning blend with fresh ingredients (and add a little parsley for good measure), flavors totally soar.
That’s the beauty of making homemade seasonings and marinades; you can customize them. In this dish, I also added Dijon mustard, which adds a wonderful spicy tanginess to the lemon pepper marinade. You’ll want to put this marinade on everything – including seafood and pork too.
This ultra-healthy, gluten-free dish is a snap to prepare. In fact, if you marinate the chicken in a zip-top bag, there’s virtually zero cleanup. I like using zip-top bags to marinate because once everything is combined in the bag, you can massage the ingredients into the meat (chicken, beef, pork) with our hands, guaranteeing the flavor penetrates the flesh.
What should you serve with your lemon pepper chicken? I added roasted potatoes and snap peas on the side and it was a complete and wholesome meal (and it kept the dish gluten-free). You can add roasted or baked potatoes, rice, or your favorite grain on the side. Any steamed or roasted vegetable would work and round out the meal perfectly.
What type of chicken should you use for this lemon pepper chicken? I used thin-cut chicken breast fillets and they were tender, juicy, and ready to eat after about 20 minutes of roasting in the oven. Thicker chicken breasts, chicken tenders, and thighs all work, but they all finish cooking at different times. Just remember that all cuts of chicken need to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice and zest from one lemon for the marinade, lemon wedges/slices for serving
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs, when using chicken breasts, pound them to 1-inch thickness, or use thin-cut chicken breast fillets
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large shallow dish or zip-top bag, combine the olive oil, juice and zest of one lemon, Dijon mustard, dried parsley, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat – when using a plastic bag, massage the marinade into the meat with your hands (using your hands guarantees the marinade penetrates the meat). Cover with plastic (or seal the bag) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet or ovenproof skillet with olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Arrange the chicken on the prepared pan and baked for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through (a meat thermometer should register 165 degrees for all cuts of chicken – tenders will cook quickly, breasts and thighs will take slightly longer).
- Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley (if using) and serve.