Description
Lemon Butter Chicken delivers pure comfort straight from your Sunday kitchen, guaranteed to make everyone at the table smile. Weekend dinner perfection arrives with golden-roasted chicken that brings simple, delicious Mediterranean flavors right to your plate.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 4 chicken breasts
Fats and Liquids:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 3 lemons
Seasonings and Herbs:
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Thoroughly dry 4 chicken breasts with paper towels to remove excess surface moisture.
- Heat your oven to 375°F and coat a large baking dish with cooking spray.
- Melt ½ cup unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until completely liquid.
- Finely chop 4 garlic cloves into tiny, uniform pieces.
- Carefully extract the zest from 1 lemon and squeeze juice from 2 lemons into a separate bowl.
- Combine melted butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer across the greased baking dish.
- Generously drizzle the butter mixture over each chicken breast, ensuring complete coverage.
- Evenly sprinkle 1 tsp dried thyme across the chicken surfaces.
- Pour ¼ cup chicken broth around the chicken pieces in the baking dish.
- Cover the entire dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake the covered chicken for exactly 25 minutes at 375°F.
- Remove foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Extract the baking dish from the oven and allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes.
- Finely chop 2 tbsp fresh parsley and scatter over the chicken before serving.
- Optionally, ladle additional pan juices directly onto each chicken portion when plating.
Notes
- Pat the chicken dry thoroughly to help create a better sear and prevent soggy texture when baking.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the brightest, most vibrant flavor in the sauce.
- Check chicken temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure perfect doneness without overcooking.
- For a lower-carb version, replace chicken broth with white wine or additional lemon juice for extra tang.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 1200 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg