Looking for a way to brighten up your weekly dinner menu?
Try Ina Garten’s lemon chicken breasts and watch as your family licks their plates clean!
This recipe is one of the easiest things you’ll ever make. It calls for just a few ingredients and only takes about 15 minutes to prep.
That makes it ideal for busy weeknights. Though it’s fancy enough for dinner parties too!
Make Ina Garten’s lemon chicken breasts once, and they’ll quickly become your new go-to for family dinners.
They’re light, bright, and even kid-approved!
Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken Breasts Recipe
Between the perfectly seasoned and juicy meat to the heavenly sauce, Ina Garten’s lemon chicken breasts are beyond divine.
The bright, zesty flavor from the lemon is amped up by a whole slew of aromatic herbs.
Plus, the sauce is spiked with white wine for a complex flavor to balance the acidity.
Serve them with rice, veggies, or even this creamy lemon shrimp pasta recipe for an all-out feast!
Either way, you’ll love it!
Ingredients
Ina Garten’s lemon chicken breast calls for simple and flavorful ingredients. Here’s everything you need to make this stellar main course your family will love.
- Boneless chicken breasts. Boneless chicken breasts are the perfect choice for this baked chicken recipe. They’re easy to cook and absorb all the flavors you throw in the dish. Make sure to keep the skin on for a crisp, browned deliciousness.
- Olive oil. This ingredient is a must for the sauce and herbs. It has a buttery flavor with peppery undertones, which blend really well with the other elements. That said, you can use a more neutral oil if that’s all you have.
- Fresh herbs. The combination of oregano and thyme brings an aromatic contrast to the bright, lemony flavor. And feel free to add more herbs, like dill and rosemary, for a richer taste.
- Lemon. Lemon chicken isn’t complete without fresh lemons. For this dish, you’ll need lemon zest, juice, and wedges. So make sure to get fresh and don’t settle for bottled juice.
- White wine. White wine adds a lot of flavor to your dish. Just be sure it’s not too sweet or too dry. You want something that’ll complement the citrus, like sauvignon blanc.
- Garlic. To add more depth and complexity to your dish, garlic is much needed. It infuses the lemon sauce with a hint of nuttiness and spice for an added kick.
- Salt and pepper. No dish is complete without this kitchen combo. It helps bring out the flavors and makes every forkful pop.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Check out these tips and tricks below for perfect lemon chicken on the very first try!
- Grab that kitchen thermometer. To ensure the chicken is perfectly cooked, insert a food thermometer into the thickest part. The temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit (75°C) for chicken.
- Chicken bones = flavor. Add the removed breast bones to the pot while it cooks. This step adds a meatier and richer flavor as it simmers with the sauce. Just don’t forget to remove it before serving!
- Remove lemon seeds. Lemon seeds create a bitter aftertaste in this dish, and you don’t want that! It’s best to juice and then strain the lemons separately to prevent any seeds from sneaking into the pan.
- No wine? No problem! If you’re looking for an alternative to white wine, use chicken or vegetable broth. The broth adds a rich, meaty dimension without needing white wine. Add a dash of vinegar, too, to keep things balanced.
- Add more herbs. Feel free to add more fresh herbs if you want a more complex flavor profile. I always include rosemary, but I know dill is a bit overpowering for some people. I also like a few pink peppercorns in the mix!
- Use a meat tenderizer. Pound the chicken for soft and perfectly cooked meat. You also want it all the same thickness, so it cooks evenly.
What to Serve with Lemon Chicken Breasts?
Lemon chicken breasts are delicious, but they can be a bit plain on their own. So what should you serve with them?
I’ve got some ideas!
- Vegetable side dishes. Nothing beats a side of veggies if you want a hearty meal. Serve them fresh or roasted for added crunch and flavor!
- Pasta. If you want an extra filling meal, you can beat pasta. Whether you like fettuccine, penne, or spaghetti, this dish pairs beautifully with anything.
- Rice. A bowl of fluffy rice never fails to disappoint if you want a heartier meal. Of course, that includes quinoa, couscous, and cauliflower rice, too.
- Salad. For a lighter meal, a side salad is ideal.
More Chicken Dinners You’ll Love
Chicken Milanese
Hellmann’s Parmesan-Crusted Chicken
Chicken Schnitzel
Chipotle Chicken
Blackened Chicken
Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken Breasts
4
servings15
minutes1
hour393
kcalLooking for a way to brighten up your weekly dinner menu? Try Ina Garten’s lemon chicken breasts and watch as your family licks their plates clean!
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
4 (6 to 8 ounces each) boneless chicken breasts (skin on)
1 lemon (sliced into wedges)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200°C).
- In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat to keep it from burning.
- Add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and one teaspoon of salt to the oil. Then, pour the mixture into a 9×12-inch baking dish.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and arrange them in the baking dish with the skin side up.
- Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle a generous amount of salt. Slice the lemon into eight wedges and place them between the chicken cutlets
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until tender and lightly browned. The bigger the chicken, the longer it will take to cook.
- If the chicken still needs more browning, let it cook for 2 minutes under the broiler. Once the chicken is done, cover the pan with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Add a dash of salt for extra flavor. Serve while still hot and soaked in the pan juices. Enjoy!
LOVE the layers of flavor! Love too, that this meal gifts the palate with the sense of the fusion of flavors, and it is EASY! I feel like a culinary genius. Thank you so very much.💕
Hi Bradlee, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! This is one of my favorite things to serve at a dinner party!
The only issue here is where in the world do you find boneless chicken breasts with the skin on? I’m not cutting up chickens with a busy schedule.
Please advise
Thanks
Hi, Jon!
Do you have a local meat market? If so, that will be your best bet. You can ask specifically for the cut. 🙂 Occasionally, I can also get it at a local grocery store we have called Bruce’s Food Land. (I THINK it’s just local to Alabama, though — not 100% sure on that.) Smaller, local, and specialty stores will likely be your best bet, though. 🙂
Google tells me that Whole Foods and Wegman’s also sell it at the meat counter, so you might check there, too. Good luck!