This recipe is so easy I can almost not call it a recipe.
I see a lot of people who are in what I call the “chicken and salad” rut. Maybe you can relate.
A couple nights a week, on goes the grill. A couple of chicken breasts get cooked, a salad gets tossed with bottled salad dressing (more on that in another post) and dinner.is.done.
Except that after so many nights of this, dinner can get sort of boring. There is only so many grilled chicken breasts you can eat, especially when the temperature outside is freezing.
You might have even thought about throwing the chicken breasts in the oven, but don’t those always come out dry and plain?
Not anymore.
Here is the simplest recipe for chicken breasts that don’t require going outside in the snow to turn on the grill. Baked chicken breasts that are still juicy and delicious. A recipe you wish you had thought of years ago.
Enter Baked Lemon Herb Chicken Breasts. I often make a batch of these and then use them in salads for lunch, quick stir fries and even chicken soup. So easy and good. By the way, feel free to switch things up with herbs and spices. Add sliced orange or lime instead of lemon. The world of baked chicken breasts is your oyster. Enjoy!
Baked Lemon Herb Chicken Breasts
Makes 3 chicken breasts
Ingredients
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
extra virgin olive oil
dried oregano and thyme (or other herbs of choice)
coarse salt and pepper
1 lemon cut in quarters
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush a baking pan lightly with the olive oil. Take a sheet of parchment paper and brush lightly with olive oil. Set aside.
- Place the chicken into the pan, spaced slightly apart. Brush the chicken with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Tuck the lemon wedges in between the chicken.
- Place the parchment paper, oil side down, on top of the chicken. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes (you can check with a thermometer to see if it is at 165 degrees). Place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes if it needs more time.
- Serve the chicken immediately, or let it cool down and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
