My super easy Lemon and Garlic Chicken recipe shows you how to make a healthier, cheaper, and more flavorful marinade at home. Using simple staples like fresh lemon, garlic, and olive oil, you can create a zesty marinade in seconds. This flexible recipe is perfect for oven roasting or grilling and is sure to become a new favorite.
Tom the Chef Founder
Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…
You can forget buying processed and overpriced marinades when you can create something healthier, cheaper, and infinitely more flavorful right at home. My super easy and incredibly delicious Lemon and Garlic Chicken is the perfect solution, using just natural ingredients like fresh lemon, garlic, and olive oil that everyone has on hand. In just seconds, you can blend these simple staples into a vibrant, zesty marinade that delivers extraordinary flavor. I love this recipe because it is a true hero for its flexibility; it works beautifully whether you’re roasting chicken portions in the oven or grilling breasts and thighs for a perfect summer barbecue, making it an effortless dish that’s sure to become a favorite.
To help you achieve the most flavorful and perfectly cooked Lemon and Garlic Chicken, I want to expand on some of the key techniques and choices within the recipe. From blending the simple marinade to understanding the nuances of grilling with it, these details will ensure your dish is a success.
The heart of this Lemon and Garlic Chicken recipe is the vibrant marinade, which proves you don’t need store-bought products to get incredible flavor. The process is incredibly simple and quick. I start by placing all the marinade ingredients into a measuring pitcher or a small mixing bowl: ¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the juice from one large lemon, 6 whole peeled garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper . Then, I use an immersion blender to process everything until it’s smooth, which usually takes about 30 seconds to a minute. This quick step transforms a few simple staples into a zesty, powerful marinade that will coat the chicken beautifully.
This Lemon and Garlic Chicken recipe is designed to be flexible, so you can use whatever chicken portions you prefer. Personally, I usually buy a whole chicken and cut it into portions like breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings. I find this to be the most cost-efficient approach, and the 2 to 2 ½ pounds of meat you get from it is the perfect amount for this recipe. This also gives you the choice to leave the skin on for the best flavor or remove it for a more diet-friendly option. However, feel free to use any combination of chicken parts you like—all chicken breasts, all drumsticks, or all wings—as long as you have at least 2 pounds of meat in total.
Once your marinade is blended and your chicken is prepared and rinsed, it’s time to bring them together . I place the chicken portions in a large mixing bowl and pour the prepared marinade over them. Then, I use a spatula to stir everything thoroughly until all the meat is coated evenly. For the best results, you can cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate overnight in the refrigerator, making sure to let it sit at room temperature for the last 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. If you’re short on time, letting it marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes still works well, or you can skip the marination time altogether if you’re in a real rush.
Oven roasting is a simple and effective way to cook this Lemon and Garlic Chicken. I start by placing the marinated chicken on a baking sheet and then putting it into a preheated oven. I let it roast for about 7 to 10 minutes, then I turn the chicken pieces to the other side, brush them with any remaining marinade from the bowl, and continue cooking until they are done. It’s important to remember that if you are cooking chicken pieces of different kinds or sizes, you may need to adjust the cooking time for the smaller portions and remove them from the oven sooner to prevent them from overcooking.
Grilling adds a wonderful smoky flavor to this Lemon and Garlic Chicken. My preferred method is to place the chicken on the grill over indirect heat, meaning on the grates with no direct flame underneath, and then close the lid. If your grill doesn’t have a lid, using lower heat will also work. Using indirect or low heat is best, especially for bone-in meat, because it prevents the chicken from cooking too quickly on the outside and potentially burning. It also helps prevent the dripping marinade from igniting over a strong flame, which can also burn the chicken. I grill for about 7 to 10 minutes, then turn the chicken, brush it with the remaining marinade, and cook until done. If the chicken is almost cooked but you want more color, you can place it over high, direct heat for the last couple of minutes.
Two final steps are crucial for a perfect outcome with this Lemon and Garlic Chicken. First and foremost is food safety. The only way to be certain your chicken is cooked through is to use a food thermometer. You need to make sure the chicken has reached the minimum recommended safe serving temperature of 165°F for poultry. Second, once the chicken is cooked, I let the meat rest on a cutting board for about 2 minutes before serving. This simple step is vital for locking in the juices, ensuring every bite is moist and tender. After resting, it’s ready to serve with your favorite side dish or dipping sauce.
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