This 5 ingredient lemon chicken is sure to please your palette. With deep flavors of thyme and rosemary coupled with the bright acidity of lemon, this becomes a healthy dinner that the entire family can enjoy. If you like simple skillet dinners try this salmon stir fry recipe or this steak enchilada skillet.
I love a good chicken dish especially one that can pack a flavorful punch with just a handful of ingredients. That’s why I love this recipe because it’s so simple to make and doesn’t require a lot of effort or energy. What’s even better is there is very little prep time making this the perfect dish for busy weeknights.
WHAT TYPE OF CHICKEN TO USE
This recipe really works with any type of chicken you choose to use. For this 5 ingredient lemon chicken I personally prefer a boneless skinless chicken thigh to cut down on some of the fat content. That said, you truly have options as to what type of chicken this recipe works with.
- Skinless chicken breasts
- Boneless chicken breasts
- Chicken legs
If you do opt to use chicken breasts here are a few suggestions:
- Butterfly the breasts – this will allow them to cook more evenly
- Tenderize the breasts – using a meat tenderizer (or a heavy skillet works too). Pound the thicker side of the breast with the tenderizer to make them thinner all around
5 INGREDIENT LEMON CHICKEN RECIPE GROCERY LIST
There isn’t much you will need to pick up from your local grocery store for this recipe, especially if you already keep a stocked pantry and spice cabinet. With the simple ingredients listed below, I opted for fresh, however you can always choose dried spices if that’s what you have on hand. Also, disclaimer, I didn’t count salt and pepper as part of the five ingredients as I feel those are pantry staples and goes in almost every dish.
Here is your pared down grocery list for this recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs (or Boneless chicken breast)
- Italian seasoning
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Lemon
- Onion
HOW TO MAKE THIS LEMON CHICKEN RECIPE
First heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and coat with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
While the oil is heating, season your chicken with Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, salt and black pepper. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken and set aside. Slice the remainder of your lemon and dice the onion into larger chunks.
Once your pan is heated, pan fry the chicken thighs on both sides until brown. This usually takes around 3-5 minutes. Once browned, turn off the heat. In the same skillet, add your lemon slices and onion chunks. If you are using fresh rosemary and thyme you can also add a few sprigs of both and place on top of the chicken.
Transfer your skillet to the oven and finish cooking through. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your chicken but generally will bake for an additional 20 – 25 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and serve.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS SIMPLE RECIPE
There are a few different ways you can choose to serve this 5 ingredient lemon chicken dish. You can make a few simple side dishes in order to make this a complete meal. Here are some suggestions:
- Creamy mashed potatoes – If you want to fancy the potatoes up you can also try these truffle mashed potatoes
- Brown rice – linking to how to cook the perfect brown rice
- Quinoa
A few vegetables to try are:
- Chopped Asparagus
- Green beans
- Broccoli
- Sautéed spinach
ALTERNATIVES TO TRY
I love this recipe as is however if you want to spice things up a bit, you can play around with additional spices and aromatics. Some additional spices you can include are:
- lemon pepper seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
A few additional aromatics you can include are:
- Garlic cloves
- Carrots
- Lemon zest
If you try this recipe please leave me a few comments below as to how you liked it! Also, feel free to stay in touch with me via my social media channels on Instagram, Youtube and Pinterest!
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