Main Course Recipes

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

4 servings

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. Read More

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Tom the ChefPublished: 8.13.2025

Main Course Recipes

Gluten-freeDairy-freeLow-carb

30 min.

1/5

132 calories Per Serving (of 4) Read More

Before You Start

Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…

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Lemon and Garlic Chicken

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.

Key Parts of the Lemon and Garlic Chicken Recipe

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.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken - Oven Roast or Grill

Crafting the Simple Homemade Marinade

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.

Flexibility in Choosing Your Chicken

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.

The Simple Marination Process

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.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken - Meat Preparation

Mastering the Oven-Roast Method

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.

Perfecting the Grilling Technique

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.

The Importance of Food Safety and Resting

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.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

4 servingsTom the ChefPublished: 8.13.2025 ☆☆☆☆☆0x(write a review)👁323x

30 min.

1/5

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Ingredients:

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Main

¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Juice from 1 lemon

6 cloves of garlic - peeled

1 TSP of salt

½ TSP of pepper - ideally freshly ground

2 - 2 ½ LB of portions of chicken - bone-in or boneless

* I usually buy a whole chicken and cut it into chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, and chicken wings. This amount is perfect for this recipe and is also the most cost-efficient. You can also decide if you would like to leave the skin on some or all of the meat for the best flavor or remove the skin for a more diet-friendly option. However, feel free to opt for any part or combination of chicken portions you like, for example, all chicken breasts, all drumsticks, or all wings, as long as you have at least 2 LB of meat in total.

Tools:

Click any tool to learn more

1x Measuring Pitcher or Small Bowl

1x Lemon Squeezer (Optionally)

1x Immersion Blender (or blender or food processor)

1x Large Mixing Bowl (8 QT +)

1x Wooden Spoon or High-Temperature Silicone Spatula

1x Plate (or plastic wrap)

1x Baking Sheet with Parchment Paper or Silicone Matt (or grill)

1x Silicone Brush

1x Turner (or tongs)

1x Food Thermometer (probe)

Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 4 servings)

Estimated

Calories 132 Protein 0.4 g Fat 13.7 g Saturated fat 2.0 g Carbohydrate 2.8 g Sugars 0.4 g Fiber 0.3 g Sodium 399 mg Cholesterol 0 mg

Gluten-freeDairy-freeLow-carb

Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.

Directions:

Lemon and Garlic Chicken-01 — All ingredients you need to prepare delicious Lemon and Garlic Chicken

1.Marinade Preparation:

Let’s start the preparation of the Lemon and Garlic Chicken by preparing the marinade.

1.1.

Place the following ingredients into the measuring pitcher or a small mixing bowl:

¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice from 1 large lemon

6 cloves of garlic – peeled, whole

1 TSP of salt

½ TSP of pepper

1.2.

Process with an immersion blender until smooth (usually about 30 seconds to 1 minute).

1.3.

Set aside for the later steps.

2.Meat Preparation:

2.1.

If you purchase a whole chicken, as I often do, portion it into individual portions: two thighs, two drumsticks, two breasts, two bottom wings, and two top wings.

2.2.

Optionally, remove unwanted skin and fat to best match your requirements.

2.3.

Make sure that the meat is properly rinsed under cold water to remove surface bacteria.

2.4.

Place the meat in a large mixing bowl.

2.5.

Pour the marinade prepared in step 1 over it.

2.6.

Then, stir thoroughly with a spatula until all of the meat is coated.

2.7.

Optionally, cover with food wrap or a plate and let it marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator, with the last 30 – 60 minutes at room temperature for the best result (or skip if you are in a rush).

3.Oven Roast or Grill:

3.1.

Oven Roast:

3.1.1.

Place the chicken on the baking sheet.

3.1.2.

Place it in the preheated oven.

3.1.3.

Roast for 7 – 10 minutes, turn the chicken to the other side, brush it with the remaining marinade, and cook until done. *

Important: If you are cooking chicken pieces of different kinds or sizes, you may have to adjust the cooking time for smaller portions (i.e., remove them sooner) to prevent them from overcooking.

3.2.

Grill:

3.2.1.

Place the chicken on the grill over indirect heat (meaning on the grates with no direct heat source or flame underneath) and close the lid or on the lower heat if your grill does not have a lid.

Note:

Since bone-in meat takes more time to prepare, it is best to use an indirect or low flame. This will not only prevent the chicken from cooking too quickly on the outside and potentially burning, but it will also prevent the burning caused by a dripping marinade, which can ignite more easily over a stronger flame and burn the chicken as well.
However, if the meat is close to being fully cooked in the following step 2 and has a color that does not match your expectations, you can place it over high, direct heat for the last couple of minutes of grilling.

3.2.2.

Grill for about 7 to 10 minutes, turn the chicken to the other side, brush it with the remaining marinade, and cook until done. *

Important: If you are cooking chicken pieces of different kinds or sizes, you may have to adjust the cooking time for smaller portions (i.e., remove them sooner) to prevent them from overcooking.