Photo: Leigh Loftus
These roasted lemon chicken breasts are made with a lemon garlic white wine sauce and spices, the perfect weeknight dinner recipe for all four seasons or any occasion.
The transition from Spring to Summer is the time of year when many people dust off their grills, pull out their tongs and abandon the oven for the next six months. For people who live in homes with backyards or apartments with decks or shared outdoor space, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
For people with no access to grilling, it’s a sad, dark time where you turn on your oven, blast your AC and make the best of it. This recipe, adapted from a Barefoot Contessa cookbook, is an anytime of year recipe. It’s a great winter dish, pairing just as well with our pappardelle with white truffle butter cream sauce and a glass of red as it will with a crisp Sancerre and a healthy serving of roasted asparagus with pesto and lemon.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
- ¼ cup good olive oil
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
- Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Turn off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.
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4 Reasons Why You Think You're a Bad Cook When You're Not - In Good Taste
October 3, 2015 at 8:43 pm[…] few of my favorite simple dinners that could pass muster for a date or special evening are Roasted Lemon Chicken Breasts, Baked Caprese Pasta or Foil Packet Salmon. For side dishes, make a super simple mixed green […]