Easy Lemon Chicken
Our bright, cheery baked lemon chicken is a family favorite that can be enjoyed year-round. Serve it with warm rice to soak up all that delicious, buttery sauce.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Serves: 4
Calories per serving: 275
Ingredients:
Cook time:
Serves: 4
Calories per serving: 275
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves (1-1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 lemons slices
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Hot cooked rice , optional
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour and pepper. Dip the chicken into the flour mixture to coat on both sides, letting excess fall off. Set the remaining flour mixture aside. Editor's Tip: Don't discard the flour mixture after you dredge the chicken. You will use it again in a few steps to make the roux for your sauce.
In a skillet, brown the chicken in oil. Transfer the chicken to an ungreased 9-inch square baking dish. Set aside. Editor's Tip: When you brown the chicken, don't worry about cooking it through. You're searing it in hot oil to give each side a golden outer crust. The browning process helps lock in moisture when the chicken cooks later.
In a saucepan, saute the onion in butter over medium-high heat (don't burn the butter!), anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Editor's Tip: Sauteeing onions is similar to caramelizing onions. In a saute, however, you don't cook the onions quite as long and your goal is to develop a just-golden color and a soft texture with a bit of bite left. Lower the heat as needed if your onions start to brown too quickly.
Add the reserved flour mixture to the onion in the saucepan. Stir to form a thick paste (the roux). Gradually add the broth, lemon juice, basil and thyme, stirring well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for two minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Editor's Tip: Dried herbs are dehydrated herbs. Without moisture, the volatile compounds of fresh herbs become concentrated. To reawaken those aromatic, flavorful compounds, rub the dried herbs between the palms of your hands as you add them to the saucepan. To reawaken their potency, you can also bloom the dried herbs in a tiny bit of oil over gentle heat.
Pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Top each chicken breast half with a lemon slice. Sprinkle evenly with parsley. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice if desired. Editor's Tip: The technical temperature of cooked chicken is 165°, and it's worth the effort to temp your baked lemon pepper chicken carefully before you call it "done."
Source: tasteofhome.com
In a skillet, brown the chicken in oil. Transfer the chicken to an ungreased 9-inch square baking dish. Set aside. Editor's Tip: When you brown the chicken, don't worry about cooking it through. You're searing it in hot oil to give each side a golden outer crust. The browning process helps lock in moisture when the chicken cooks later.
In a saucepan, saute the onion in butter over medium-high heat (don't burn the butter!), anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Editor's Tip: Sauteeing onions is similar to caramelizing onions. In a saute, however, you don't cook the onions quite as long and your goal is to develop a just-golden color and a soft texture with a bit of bite left. Lower the heat as needed if your onions start to brown too quickly.
Add the reserved flour mixture to the onion in the saucepan. Stir to form a thick paste (the roux). Gradually add the broth, lemon juice, basil and thyme, stirring well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for two minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Editor's Tip: Dried herbs are dehydrated herbs. Without moisture, the volatile compounds of fresh herbs become concentrated. To reawaken those aromatic, flavorful compounds, rub the dried herbs between the palms of your hands as you add them to the saucepan. To reawaken their potency, you can also bloom the dried herbs in a tiny bit of oil over gentle heat.
Pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Top each chicken breast half with a lemon slice. Sprinkle evenly with parsley. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice if desired. Editor's Tip: The technical temperature of cooked chicken is 165°, and it's worth the effort to temp your baked lemon pepper chicken carefully before you call it "done."
Source: tasteofhome.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.