Easy Lemon Garlic Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
For the best juicy and tender chicken breasts remember these three things: marinate first, bake loosely covered, and use a meat thermometer. We marinate the chicken breasts in a magical mixture of fresh lemon, garlic, Dijon mustard, and parsley before baking in the oven. If you are short on time, marinate as close to an hour as you can. If you are flexible, go for a whole two hours. And since we want to keep things safe, it is best to marinate the chicken in the refrigerator (no matter how long you do it for). We highly recommend using an internal thermometer when cooking meats.
For the best juicy and tender chicken breasts remember these three things: marinate first, bake loosely covered, and use a meat thermometer. We marinate the chicken breasts in a magical mixture of fresh lemon, garlic, Dijon mustard, and parsley before baking in the oven. If you are short on time, marinate as close to an hour as you can. If you are flexible, go for a whole two hours. And since we want to keep things safe, it is best to marinate the chicken in the refrigerator (no matter how long you do it for). We highly recommend using an internal thermometer when cooking meats.
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 large lemons
- 3 cloves garlic crushed with the side of a large knife or minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley roughly chopped
- 4 ounces each)
- Carbohydrate 6.93562013047559 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 7.09868597753448 g
- Fiber 1.86374580056054 g
- Protein 1.05581945343412 g
- Saturated Fat 0.968833387324406 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (101g)
- Sodium 262.569526128199 mg
- Sugar 5.07187432991505 g
- Trans Fat 0.289009870175991 g
- Calories 85 calories
Step-by-step
- Peel or zest the thin, yellow skin (zest) from 1 lemon, and then juice the lemon so that you have 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice. (Use half of the second lemon to make up the 1/4 cup of juice if the first lemon was not enough).
- Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper together until the salt has dissolved. Stir in the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley (if using). Refrigerate and use within 1 to 2 hours.
- Add the chicken breasts to the marinade and marinate for 1 hour and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a baking dish large enough to fit the chicken breasts arranged in one layer. Oil one side of a sheet of parchment paper that is large enough to cover the baking dish.
- Quarter the second lemon. Transfer chicken breasts to the prepared baking dish and remove any large pieces of garlic that might be stuck to the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, scatter lemon wedges around the chicken then cover with parchment paper — oiled side down towards the chicken. Loosely tuck the parchment paper around the chicken.
- Bake until the chicken is opaque all the way through and an internal thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Check for doneness around 25 minutes then go from there. Most chicken breasts will take 35 to 40 minutes.
- Let chicken rest about 10 minutes then serve drizzled with some of the liquid left in the baking dish or slice the chicken and place back into the baking dish with all the leftover cooking liquid (our favorite).
Swapping bottled lemon juice for the fresh citrus called for in this marinade strips away essential volatile oils that brighten the poultry. Fresh zest and juice supply natural acidity that tenderizes dense muscle fibers during the one-to-two-hour refrigerator rest. Bottled alternatives often contain bitter preservatives that concentrate under heat. Olive oil delivers fat-soluble flavor compounds from the crushed garlic and parsley straight to the meat. Dijon mustard acts as an emulsion stabilizer, binding the oil and citrus into a uniform coating that clings to the surface rather than pooling at the bottom of the pan.
Preventing Dry Meat
Lean poultry dries out rapidly when exposed to dry oven heat above 350 degrees F. Covering the baking dish with an oiled sheet of parchment paper traps moisture while allowing the surface to brown slightly. An internal temperature reading of 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the breast signals immediate removal from the 400 degrees F oven. Allowing the protein to rest undisturbed for ten minutes redistributes internal juices.
- Discard any marinade that has touched raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination.
- Substitute dried parsley at a one-to-three ratio if fresh herbs are unavailable, though the herbal brightness will diminish.
- Check internal doneness starting at 25 minutes using a digital probe thermometer.
- Slice resting meat directly into remaining pan juices to reabsorb rendered flavors.
