Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe: How to Make Lemon Chicken
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: May 16, 2024 • 3 min read
This one-pan lemon garlic chicken recipe features a zesty pan sauce you’ll want to spoon over everything.
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What Is Lemon Garlic Chicken?
Lemon garlic chicken is a dish featuring chicken breasts or thighs flavored with garlic and lemon. You can prepare this dish in many ways, from sautéeing boneless chicken breasts on the stovetop in a lemon garlic sauce to roasting chicken thighs in the oven with whole cloves of garlic and halved lemons.
For a satisfying weeknight meal, serve lemon garlic chicken with a side of sautéed or steamed green beans and mashed potatoes.
3 Tips for Making Lemon Garlic Chicken
Follow these tips to make lemon garlic chicken packed with flavor:
- 1. Decide which cut of chicken to use. You can make lemon garlic chicken with a variety of chicken cuts. Chicken breasts cook more quickly than chicken thighs, making them a better option for fast, high-heat methods like sautéeing and grilling. Dark meat chicken thighs are almost impossible to overcook and benefit from low-and-slow cooking methods like roasting and braising. Whichever cut you choose, you’ll have to decide whether or not to remove the skin and bones. Skin adds fat and flavor. Sear skin-on chicken thighs or breasts to render the fat and crisp up the skin. Bones insulate the meat, which can increase the cook time.
- 2. Marinate the chicken. To infuse the chicken with plenty of lemony garlic flavor, marinate it for at least thirty minutes and up to overnight. You can use the leftover marinade to make a pan sauce; just be sure to cook it thoroughly since the leftover marinade will have come into contact with raw chicken.
- 3. Use one pan. For a one-pan approach, use an oven-safe cast-iron or stainless steel skillet to sear the chicken on the stovetop before transferring it to the oven. The pan-roasting allows you to achieve the caramelization of pan-searing on the stovetop before finishing the chicken via the less intense heat of the oven.
Rosemary Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe
makes
prep time
5 mintotal time
53 mincook time
48 minIngredients
Note: The total time does not include 30 minutes of inactive time.
- 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper.
- 2
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and then transfer to a large ziplock bag.
- 3
Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal the bag.
- 4
Lay the bag flat in the refrigerator in a tray to prevent leakage and cross-contamination.
- 5
Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
- 6
In a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat, warm the butter and oil until shimmering.
- 7
Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and add them to the pan, setting the marinade aside for later use.
- 8
Sear the chicken until brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
- 9
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the seared chicken thighs to a plate.
- 10
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 11
Return the pan to medium heat.
- 12
Add the reserved marinade to the pan along with the chicken broth and white wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and incorporating them into the pan sauce.
- 13
Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
- 14
Add the chicken thighs, skin-side up, along with the rosemary sprigs and lemon slices.
- 15
Turn off the heat and carefully transfer the pan to the preheated oven.
- 16
Bake the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 degrees Fahrenheit, about 30–40 minutes.
- 17
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.
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