Weeknight Lemon Chicken Breasts With Herbs

By Jennifer Steinhauer

Weeknight Lemon Chicken Breasts With Herbs
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
20 minutes, plus at least 1 hour marinating
Rating
4(4,340)
Comments
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Boneless chicken breasts suffer a bad reputation, owing in large part to their propensity to dry out. The solution here is a lovely bath in an ample amount of olive oil, white wine and lemon, which seasons and tenderizes the chicken. Later, the marinade becomes an easy pan sauce once it cooks with the breasts. Use fresh herbs in the summer; in the winter, dried herbs will do the trick.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
  • 1½teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1¼teaspoons ground black pepper
  • ½cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1lemon, thinly sliced into rounds, seeds discarded
  • ¼cup dry white wine
  • 3garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1tablespoon dried herbes de Provence, or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as sage, rosemary and thyme
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

596 calories; 40 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 52 grams protein; 697 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season the chicken breasts all over with the salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a gallon-size resealable freezer bag. Add ½ cup olive oil and the remaining ingredients, press out the air and seal the bag tightly so the chicken is fully submerged. Massage the chicken through the plastic bag to evenly distribute the herbs. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

  2. Step 2

    In a large, deep skillet with a lid, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium. Remove the chicken from the marinade, add to the skillet, then pour the lemons and marinade on top. Cook until the chicken is golden on one side, about 8 minutes. Turn the chicken, cover and cook over medium-low until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Serve chicken topped with lemons and sauce.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
4,340 user ratings
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Comments

Margaret Rothaus

Is it safe to use the marinade you have marinated the raw chicken breasts in for the sauce? Is the cooking heat and time sufficient for the sauce to be completely safe?

Marilyn

Before marinating, pound the thickest part of chicken pieces to flatten slightly; before cooking, pull the meat from marinade and pour marinade into a pint jar or glass to allow it to separate; spoon off 2-3 T to use for lightly browning meat. Remove browned meat from skillet, and deglaze pan with marinade, return chicken to cook through.

Lisa

Simple and delicious! Want to really kick up with sauce the flavor? Pull chicken from pan once it is cooked, add a bit more wine, reduce the sauce and finish with a bit of butter. Excellent with simple rosemary roasted potatoes and sauteed mushrooms and green beans!

Jake T

The lemons were incredibly bitter when we made this. What did we do wrong?

sneezyhead

Made this with pasta after deglazing the pan and cooking down the lemons. Also added a hit of chili powder to the marinade. So good, so easy

Yolanda M. Mamone

Very easy to assemble and cook. Wonderful flavor. I did rice and brocollini with it. I love Marasala so I used it in place of white wine. Trully delicious!

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