Easy Healthy Baked Lemon Chicken (quick dinner!)

Jessica Kostka — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 15:27:59 +0000

It doesn’t get much easier than this Healthy Baked Lemon Chicken!

I am all about cooking easy dinners for busy weeknights and this chicken recipe is no exception.

A lemony sauce envelops the chicken while cooking to give it serious flavour!

Fresh and bright, this baked lemon chicken is here to become your new go-to chicken recipe! You start by seasoning and searing the chicken breasts in a frying pan to give them a lovely golden hue. Then, the chicken breasts are transferred to a baking dish, drizzled with the lemon sauce and baked. It’s seriously so simple!

If you love easy chicken dinners like this One Pan Roasted Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes and this Easy Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken with Vegetables, then this healthy chicken recipe is for you.

Why you’ll love this healthy baked lemon chicken

The sauce for this baked lemon chicken is so simple to mix together and provides so much flavor!
It takes just simple ingredients to whip up this lemon chicken for an easy weeknight dinner.
There are 48g of protein per serving in this simple recipe!
Perfect to meal prep for weekday lunches.

Ingredients needed for baked lemon chicken

Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts work best for this recipe but you could use skinless boneless chicken thighs as an alternative.

Lemon: Make sure to use fresh lemons squeezed for the fresh lemon juice and then another lemon for fresh lemon slices that top the chicken.

Garlic: Minced garlic cloves is a part of the delicious lemon sauce.

Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil to bring all of the sauce ingredients together.

Dried spices: Dried oregano, dried thyme and dried rosemary are a part of the lemon sauce along with salt and ground black pepper.

How to make this easy baked lemon chicken recipe

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400F and set aside a baking dish.

Step 2: Make the lemon sauce: In a small bowl mix together lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried rosemary, chili flakes, salt & pepper. Set aside.

Step 3: Season each side of the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Then, add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet or frying pan and turn the heat to medium-high.

Step 4: Once the frying pan is hot, add chicken breasts to the pan and brown on both sides by cooking for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from heat once browned and transfer to a baking or casserole dish.

Step 5: Pour the lemon sauce over chicken breasts, moving them around the baking dish a bit to make sure sauce gets under the chicken too. Put a lemon slice on top of each chicken breast.

Step 6: Bake 22-25 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F). Serve with grains and greens of choice and drizzle sauce from the baking dish on top of chicken for extra flavor.

Expert tips

If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves, use 3/4 tsp garlic powder for the sauce instead.
Add fresh herbs like fresh parsley or fresh basil as a garnish to add even more flavour.
The cooking time of the delicious chicken will depend on the size of the chicken breasts. Highly recommend using a meat thermometer if you have one to check the internal temperature of the chicken.
Make sure to use fresh lemons (instead of bottled lemon juice) to ensure you get the bright and fresh lemony flavor in this dish!

What do you eat baked lemon chicken with?

Grains: Any kind of rice or quinoa would be delicious with this chicken recipe.
Roasted Vegetables: I love roasted carrots, brussels sprouts or green beans as a side but honestly whatever vegetable is your fav works!
Green Salad: A simple, fresh side salad is a fresh bite beside the baked chicken.
Sauteed Kale: Bright, fresh kale just lightly sauteed is a delicious side with the lemon chicken. Or, try an easy kale salad!
Potatoes: For a more decadent dish, try roasted or mashed potatoes.

Common questions

Can I use another cut of chicken for this recipe?
Yes! You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for this healthy baked lemon chicken. BUT, please note the chicken will probably take less time to cook so start checking the doneness of the chicken around 18-20 minutes.

Why do you put lemon in the sauce and add lemon slices on top of the chicken?
The lemon juice in the sauce AND the slices of lemon on top keep the chicken juicy. The lemon along with the other aromatics like garlic and dried spices infuse the chicken while cooking, giving it amazing flavour!

How to store

Store leftovers of this healthy lemon baked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, portion the chicken breasts into single containers along with your grains and greens for perfect meal prep lunches.

More delicious and easy chicken recipes to love from the blog

The Best-Ever Baked Jalapeno Popper Chicken Recipe

One Pan Baked Chicken with Tomatoes & Oregano

Peanut Chicken Power Bowls