Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken is an easy recipe with chicken breasts baked in the oven with lemon pepper seasoning until tender and juicy. Your whole family will love this delicious easy dinner, and it's perfect for busy weeknights!
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If you are looking for an easy chicken recipe for dinner tonight, you are going to love this easy baked lemon pepper chicken recipe.
This is one of my favorite easy chicken recipes and easy dinner recipes for lazy days and busy days. We enjoy this simple meal about once a week! Try my Mayo Parmesan Chicken or Ritz Cracker Chicken, too!
This baked lemon pepper chicken breasts recipe needs minimal prep, uses minimal ingredients, and it's easy on the budget. Best of all, my entire family adores this lemony chicken -- even my picky eaters!
Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple ingredients for this easy lemon chicken recipe. They should be easy to locate in your grocery store if you don't already have them at home.
- Chicken breasts -- boneless skinless chicken breasts work best. I like to use thinner pieces of chicken or chicken halves to cook faster. Use chicken thighs or chicken tenders if you like.
- Lemon pepper seasoning -- Prepared seasoning is what makes this dinner so easy. Use your favorite brand of lemon pepper seasoning ( I love Kinders ) or make your own lemon pepper seasoning.
- Lemon -- fresh lemon slices and a little fresh lemon juice add extra flavor
- Olive oil and butter -- to coat the chicken and an another layer of flavor. You can use avocado oil or vegetable oil if you prefer.
- Garlic powder -- optional, but we like a little extra garlic. You can easily leave this out
Note -- This recipe makes 4 to 6 small chicken breasts.
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken in Oven
First, add a little olive oil to the baking pan.Then, place the chicken in the baking dish in a single layer, and drizzle with remaining olive oil.
Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning and garlic powder evenly on top of the chicken.
Next, place lemon slices on top of the chicken. I usually squirt a little lemon juice over the chicken.
No need to cut another lemon -- you can squeeze the juice from the ends of the lemon.
Finally, place a pat of butter on top of each lemon slice.
Cooking Time
Place the baking dish into the preheated oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees f, according to a meat thermometer or meat thermometer.
The chicken should be golden brown, and the lemon pepper sauce should be bubbling. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before serving to allow the juices to settle.
What to Serve with Lemon Pepper Chicken
I like to garnish the chicken with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. This is optional but adds a pop of color, freshness and adds to the flavor profile.
Serve this easy weeknight dinner with broccoli, green beans or cauliflower as an easy side dish. These easy side dishes all pair well with the delicious lemony flavor of the chicken.
I also like to serve roasted potatoes or air fryer potatoes or simple plain pasta or jasmine rice. Pasta or rice is perfect for soaking up the flavorful lemon butter sauce!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Refrigerate leftover baked lemon chicken in an airtight container. It keeps fresh for 3-4 days. You can freeze the chicken for longer storage. Reheat chicken in the microwave or use it for meal prep over a green salad.
Expert Tips
Choose thinner chicken breasts so that they cook faster. You can pound thick ones if necessary so that they cook evenly.
It's easy to eyeball the ingredients. You can add more or less seasoning as long as there is enough to coat the chicken.
Allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes after taking it out of the oven. This will allow the juices to redistribute and ensure your chicken is perfectly tender and juicy!
Recipe FAQ
It varies with different brands, but it's usually made with a combination of dried lemon zest, salt, black pepper, dried garlic, dried onion, citric acid and sometimes, sugar.
The chicken bakes at a lower temperature in a mixture of olive oil and butter and lemon juice. As a result, the chicken is tender and juicy.
Recipe
Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2 pounds
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
- 1 small lemon sliced
- 3 tbs butter sliced
- chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Pour half of the olive oil in a baking pan or casserole dish
- Place chicken in baking dish, and pour remaining olive oil over chicken
- Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning and garlic powder over chicken
- Place lemon slices on top of chicken and place butter on top of lemon. Squeeze remaining juice from lemon over chicken
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until chicken is 165℉ according to a meat thermometer
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving
Notes
Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy this easy dinner recipe as much as my family does. If you do try my easy lemon pepper chicken breast recipe, please leave a star rating and/or comment.
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Louis says
Wow was this great! Made it for dinner and everyone loved it! So simple and quick! Will be making this often!