Lemon chicken is so flavorful it doesn't require sauce.
Adding lemon to your chicken is an easy way to add flavor without loading the dish with fat and calories. Baking your lemon chicken makes it tender and juicy, and it's also a healthier cooking method than frying the meat or sauteing it in oil. Lemon chicken has a bright and light flavor, making it an ideal dinner for a hot summer night. However, you can serve it with warm potatoes and steamed vegetables to make a comforting dinner on a cold winter's night.
Instructions
Chicken Breasts
1. Mix together 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of white wine, two tablespoons of diced garlic, a teaspoon of dried oregano and a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of two lemons into the bowl. Grate the lemons and add a tablespoon of the lemon peel to the mixture.
2. Arrange four chicken breasts on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut a few 1/2-inch deep slits into both sides of each chicken breast.
3. Place the chicken breasts in a large plastic bag or glass bowl. Pour the lemon mixture over the breasts. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator. Let the chicken marinate for two hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish. Set aside any leftover marinade.
5. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes. Pull the dish out of the oven and pour the leftover marinade over the chicken. Return the chicken to the oven for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the breasts are browned. Check the chicken with a meat thermometer before removing it; breasts should have an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Whole Chicken
6. Stuff a quartered lemon into the body cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken in a deep roasting dish.
7. Cut slits into the top of the chicken, placing one slit every few inches. Tuck sprigs of rosemary into each slit. Rub the chicken with olive oil and squeeze a halved lemon over the top of the bird. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
8. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and bake the chicken for 45 to 50 minutes. Check the thigh of the chicken with a meat thermometer; don't take the dish out of the oven until the temperature registers at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tags: chicken with, chicken breasts, Place chicken, chicken minutes, chicken with meat, degrees Fahrenheit, dish oven
