Baked Lemon Chicken Recipe

Try this recipe for juicy, crispy baked chicken thighs with lemon pepper seasoning once and it will go on your dinner rotation forever. Very quick and easy, the Baked Lemon Chicken recipe still has so much flavor packed in you’ll be surprised!

Want more chicken recipes? Make this Bacon Chicken Casserole, or Chicken Meatballs (Kotleti), or this Chinese Orange Chicken.

Baked Lemon Chicken

Dinnertime can be especially hectic when it’s the end of the day and you’re tired. For days like those, it’s good to have a couple of recipes that are quick to throw together, have a minimal list of ingredients and still have tons of flavor.

This Baked Lemon Chicken recipe comes together in 5-10 minutes since there’s really not much to do. If you can line a baking sheet with parchment and then massage the spices into the chicken, you can make this juicy and crispy chicken recipe.

The key flavoring ingredient is the Lemon Pepper Seasoning. You can just grab a jar of it at the store and use it on everything from chicken to fish or make your own.

How to make the Lemon Pepper Seasoning:

In a small jar or container mix together:

• dried lemon peel
• black pepper
• onion powder or granules
• garlic powder

Type of chicken meat to use:

This recipe uses chicken thighs, but anything from chicken breast, tenders, chicken drumsticks, or even whole chicken will go very well with this seasoning.

The only thing, you’ll need to adjust the baking time. The easiest way to do that is to insert the probe of a oven-safe thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and set it for 160F degrees. When it reaches 160F, your chicken is ready.

How to make Baked Lemon Chicken

• Trim the chicken fat and extra skin and discard.
• Toss the chicken and the rest of the ingredients together.
• Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake.

Make-ahead Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs:

I love this chicken as leftovers the next day, it’s still delicious. Especially if you have an air fryer to reheat it in, to get that crispy skin. But, if you want the best flavor I would bake it right before serving.

To speed up the process, the chicken can be tossed with the lemon pepper seasoning and left covered in the fridge for up to 1-2 days to marinate. This will allow the chicken seasoning to infuse the meat with all the delicious flavors of the lemon zest, pepper, garlic, and the onion.

To bake, transfer to the baking sheet and bake according to the recipe below.

Other easy dinner ideas:

• Easy Shrimp Scampi
• Salmon Asparagus Foil Packets
• Flatbread Margherita Pizza 

Print

Baked Lemon Chicken

5 from 2 votes

Easy Baked Lemon Chicken is a dinnertime superhero. With only 4 ingredients, it will be in the oven and baking in 5 minutes flat. Crispy, crackly skin and juicy meat - an absolute favorite around here!

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked lemon chicken

Calories: 407 kcal

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 3 lb chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (3 lb = about 10 chicken thighs)
• 2 tbsp lemon-pepper seasoning (homemade or storebought)
• 2 tbsp nonflavored oil
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided (1 1/2 tsp+1/2 tsp)

Garnish

• 5-6 slices lemon
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

• 4 tbsp dried lemon peel
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp onion powder or granules
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

How to make the Lemon Pepper Seasoning

1. Combine all ingredients together in a container and mix thoroughly.

How to make the Baked Lemon Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 425F with the rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

2. Trim the chicken skin and fat, leaving only enough to cover the thigh meat.

3. Add the chicken thighs to a large bowl, then massage the 2 tbsp of lemon pepper seasoning, 2 tbsp nonflavored oil and 1 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt into the chicken making sure that it's evenly coating both the bottom and the top of each chicken thigh piece.

4. Transfer the chicken thighs to a rimmed baking sheet, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt over the tops of the skin. Place in the oven and bake for about 1 hour or until the chicken is tender, easily pierced with a fork and the juices run clear.

5. Transfer to a serving plate if desired, sprinkle with chopped parsley, slices of lemon and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Lemon Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 407 Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Fat 32g49%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 167mg56%

Sodium 713mg31%

Potassium 369mg11%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 28g56%

Vitamin A 141IU3%

Calcium 20mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Print