Fresh rosemary, lemon juice, and garlic are the main ingredients to make this tasty Lemon Rosemary Chicken recipe. It’s quick and easy to make with just one casserole dish and 30 minutes. It’s quick and easy to make with just one casserole dish and 30 minutes.
We have chicken breast recipes for dinner a few times a week, so I’m always looking for ways to change things up. This Lemon Rosemary Chicken delivers exactly what I want in a weeknight meal.
The homemade lemon and garlic marinade makes the chicken come out SO tender and juicy every time. And this dish bakes in the oven, which means totally hands-off cooking.
The bright and earthy flavors are especially versatile, so you can pair lemon rosemary chicken with everything from a fresh Mediterranean salad to mashed potato, fluffy rice and even roasted brussels sprouts.
Ingredients & Variations
- Chicken breast — I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Chicken thighs also work well, just remember to adjust the cooking time.
- Olive oil — Any neutral oil will do the trick. It helps the seasonings stick to the chicken breasts and keeps them moist while cooking.
- Lemon juice — Freshly squeezed lemon juice provides a bright flavor contrast to the earthy rosemary. The acidity also helps to tenderize the chicken while it marinates.
- Garlic — Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic to your liking. Pre-minced garlic works just fine here as a time-saver.
- Seasonings — A blend of dried oregano, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Feel free to use other dried herbs like basil, rosemary, or thyme. Use some lemon zest too, if you prefer.
- Garnish — Add fresh lemon slices and rosemary sprigs as the finishing touch.
How to Make Lemon and Rosemary Chicken
- First, remove the boneless chicken breast from the fridge and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Then, we’re going to marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, but you can let it marinate for up to 8 hours.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bag, and give it a good shake to evenly mix everything before letting it rest in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F and transfer the chicken breasts to a casserole dish (or baking dish).
- Bake the chicken for 30 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165°F at the thickest part of the breast. The baking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
- Let this juicy chicken breast rest for a few minutes before garnishing it with lemon slices and rosemary sprigs.
Olivia’s Recipe Tips
- Be careful not to over marinate the chicken or it will become tough. 8 hours is the maximum marinating time for an acidic marinade like this.
- If you make this recipe in bulk, you may need to cook it in batches or use 2 casserole dishes so the chicken isn’t overcrowded.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This lets the juices redistribute, keeping the meat juicy and tender.
- Turn on the broiler for the last 2 to 3 minutes to get a golden brown color on top.
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, you can freeze lemon rosemary chicken in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to reheat the leftovers, just pop them in the microwave or air fryer until they’re heated through. You can also leave the chicken cold and serve it in a chopped salad.
Meal Prep Tip!
Lemon Rosemary Chicken is especially great for meal prep. I like to make a double batch so I can use half for meals throughout the week and freeze the other half. I typically shred what I’m going to freeze so it’s easy to add to soups, casseroles, and salads.
More Baked Chicken Recipes
Looking to elevate your dinners? Try these four chicken recipes! Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Breast is juicy and delicious.
Air Fryer Chicken Breast is crispy and tender.
The Stuffed Chicken Breast has fresh asparagus and melted cheese. The Chicken Salad is a tasty salad and great for lunch or a light dinner. These recipes are easy, delicious, and sure to impress!
My Top Chicken Recipes
Lemon Rosemary Chicken – Zesty, Garlicky & Weeknight-Ready
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika
- salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic cloves minced
- 5 slices lemon
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a large ziplock bag and seal it. Shake the bag thoroughly until the chicken is evenly coated with the mixture.
- Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, up to a maximum of 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, then transfer the chicken to a large casserole dish when you’re ready to bake.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. The baking time may vary based on the thickness of your chicken breasts. The chicken is ready when a meat thermometer reads at least 165°F.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice and garlic for the best flavor.
- Get similar-sized chicken breasts so they cook at the same rate.
- Make sure the chicken breasts do not overlap. This will help them cook evenly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
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I’m loving the looks of this chicken, Olivia! I love rosemary and haven’t paired it with lemon before, so I’m sure it’s delicious!
Such a pretty dinner! And with all my favorite flavors for spring. This is soooo a recipe I would make! Thanks for sharing Olivia!
I love all of the flavors in this roasted chicken! We are enjoying beautiful weather here in California, too!
I absolutely love roasted chicken – this is my favourite recipe! My mum always roasts chicken with rosemary and lemon – such a great flavour combo! Thanks for sharing, Olivia!
These look delicious… It’s make me so hungry! ha. I am pinning this recipe to make it next week!
This chicken looks so jam-packed with flavor I can hardly stand it! I’m definitely gonna have to add this one to the dinner rotation—gorgeous photos too, Olivia!
This chicken looks delicious, Olivia! I love garlic on just about everything. Your photos are beautiful!
Beautiful chicken dish with mouthwatering flavours, I find the taste of rosemary with chicken totally irresistible!
So well plated. I love it. It looks simple and yet delicious. Rosemary and lemon goes rather well so I am sure this recipe would be a success in my house.
So happy you like this recipe, my dear friend 😉
I believe I will try this on the grill.
I think it will be delicious on the grill. Please, let me know how it turned out 😉
I have a question – I’ve read that you are not supposed to allow meat to marinate in citrus juice for longer than 2 or 3 hours because the meat becomes mealy. So I’m hesitant to let it marinate overnight. Does it really not mess with the integrity of the meat???
Michelle, thanks for pointing that out. I forgot to write on the recipe instructions that the lemon juice and the slices of lemon shouldn’t be added when you marinate overnight. I just adjusted the recipe to clear further confusion.
Trying this today however think you need to move the preheat oven down after the marinade. There are some people who don’t have common sense and follow recipes exactly. Thanks for sharing
I will adjust the recipe to clear further confusion. Thanks for pointing it out!
Why should I preheat the oven at 425F (Step 1) if I need to first marinate the chicken overnight (Step 3)?? What am I missing?
I just adjusted the recipe to clear further confusion. Thanks for pointing it out!
I made this last night for a couple of guests and everybody loved it! It was full of flavor!
Great!
I made this last night for a couple of guests and everybody loved it! It was full of flavor! Thank you Olivia!
Awesome! Happy to hear that 😉
Followed exactly, the second 10-min after flip time was way off, more like 5… dry & eh, pretty bland, nothing exciting at all!
This recipe is amazing! It has become my go-to rosemary lemon chicken; the flavors are explicit!
I am so excited to hear this! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and taking time to leave your positive review.
I found this recipe when I simply entered “chicken, lemon and rosemary” into the search engine, and up came Primaverakitchen. I am so delighted to have found your site, what a lovely dish, easy to make, healthy and delicious, thank you so much.
I have signed up to your site and look forward to trying other recipes.
That’s awesome, Mike. So happy to read that you enjoy this recipe. Thank you so signing up 😉
Very good
Thank you!
Fiz e amei essa receita
Que bom!