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This baked lemon butter chicken recipe is simple to make and has so much flavor! The juicy chicken is baked in a lemon garlic butter sauce that makes for a bright and buttery-rich chicken dinner the whole family will love.
What’s in Lemon Butter Chicken?
This baked lemon chicken uses simple, minimal ingredients. You may even find most of them already sitting in your pantry or fridge!
Here are a few featured ingredients to note when making your baked lemon butter chicken:
- Chicken: we used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this easy recipe, but you’re more than welcome to use chicken thighs over breasts.
- Lemon: The main event of this chicken dish, lemon offers a wonderful vibrant flavor that pairs deliciously with the butter, herbs, and spices.
- Butter: The chicken is baked in a butter-lemon sauce that provides the most flavorful and tender chicken.
- Spices: A spice blend of garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper perfectly balances out the lemon butter sauce.
Insider Tip: Be sure to use unsalted butter for this recipe. If you only have salted butter, go lighter on the salt in this recipe. You can add more to taste.
Recipe Variations
To make this baked lemon butter chicken spicy, add ⅛-¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes!
For this recipe, we are baking the chicken at 375°F.
I like to bake this chicken uncovered so that it can get nice and crispy. If you notice the chicken browning too much, you can tent it with foil for the rest of the baking time.
No, this chicken doesn’t need to marinate before baking. The butter will harden up in the fridge so there’s no need to marinate this chicken ahead of time.
You sure can! Thighs may take a bit longer to cook than breasts.
Chicken is cooked through when it is no longer pink and the temperature in the thickest part registers 165°F.
It sounds like the chicken may have been over baked. Depending on the sizes of your chicken breasts, yours may take a little less or a little longer to bake. This recipe uses about 2 pounds of chicken. If you have less chicken or thinly sliced chicken breasts, you may need less baking time. I’d recommend using a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the chicken.
How to Store and Reheat Garlic Lemon Butter Chicken
Store leftover baked lemon butter chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes.
How to Freeze Lemon Butter Baked Chicken
Freeze baked lemon butter chicken in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to Serve with Lemon Butter Chicken Breasts
Whether you want to whip up this baked lemon butter chicken for a dinner party or as a simple weeknight meal with the family, there are many yummy sides to pair with this one-pan chicken dish.
Some of our favorite sides include
Baked Lemon Butter Chicken Recipe
This baked lemon butter chicken features a silky rich garlic butter, herbs, and a vibrant lemon flavor that you just can’t beat! Enjoy with a side of potatoes or a green veggie to make it a complete meal.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total Time : 40 minutes
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
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Place the raw chicken breasts into the prepared baking dish. Set aside.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
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In a medium bowl, stir the lemon juice, melted butter, lemon zest, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and pepper together until mixed well. The butter may start to harden a little bit when the lemon juice is added, and that’s okay. Just use a fork to crumble the butter and break it up a bit.
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
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Spread the butter mixture evenly over the raw chicken breasts.
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Place the lemon slices in the baking dish (in the sauce under the chicken breasts).
½ lemon
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Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes.
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Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and serve hot.
Notes
- If using smaller breasts, bake for less time.
- If using chicken thighs, bake for a bit longer.
- Do not use bottled lemon juice in this recipe; it just won’t taste right!
- Chicken is done once the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the meat. Watch that the chicken isn’t overcooked or it will dry out. Always check the temperature of the thickest chicken breast first by inserting the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast.
Storage: Store baked lemon butter chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Baked Lemon Butter Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 chicken breast)
Calories 247
Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 0.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 103mg34%
Sodium 425mg18%
Potassium 493mg14%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 424IU8%
Vitamin C 20mg24%
Calcium 44mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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