Easy to make and full of flavor, this Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe is one for your recipe file. This single serving meal cooks in under 30 minutes and can be cooked in the oven or on the grill. Serve over rice or orzo pasta. For a low carb variation, serve in a lettuce wrap.
Why This Recipe Works
This wonderful Lemon Garlic Chicken is so incredibly delicious and I'm so excited to share the easy recipe with you today. It's an easy to make, flavor packed recipe that can be cooked either on the grill or in the oven.
Best of all, the entire meal can be ready and on your table in 30 minutes.
Baked chicken alone is a fabulous low carb, low calorie meal. If you're watching your carb intake, consider slicing the cooked chicken and eating it in a lettuce wrap or as a salad topping.
I happen to love serving this tender and juicy lemon chicken with buttery orzo pasta or brown rice. It's truly spectacular and I love how the juices from the lemon and garlic sauce soak into the pasta.
Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Garlic: Chopped garlic adds quite a lot of flavor to the chicken marinade. You may use ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder instead if necessary.
- Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this lemon garlic chicken recipe as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It's my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
- Seasonings: Use paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper for best flavor.
- Chicken: I recommend using 1 (4 to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh.
- Orzo: This type of pasta is shaped like a large grain of rice. Feel free to use a different type of pasta or serve this lemon garlic chicken over rice instead.
- Butter: I like to stir butter into the cooked orzo for flavor.
How To Make This Recipe
- Begin by combining garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a small bowl. The smoked paprika adds a deep, woodsy flavor and I love how it really comes through. Pour the marinade over the chicken in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
If you'd like to grill the chicken, place it on a heated grill and grill for 8 minutes per side.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this Lemon Garlic Chicken, I used a small baking sheet. You can also use a loaf pan or a small to medium sized baking dish. Examples of these dishes can be found on our Bakeware page.
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
I use either a boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thigh. Chicken tenders would also be a good option. Chicken tenders will take about the same time to cook but be sure to check to make sure the chicken is done by using an instant read thermometer. Chicken is cooked through when it is no longer pink and has reached 165F.
Expert Tips
- To get the most juice out of a lemon, roll the lemon on the countertop while pressing it gently.
- If you don't have Italian seasoning, feel free to use dried thyme or dried basil instead.
- Refrigerate leftover lemon chicken in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
You might like to serve lemon and garlic chicken with any of these single serving side dishes:
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this lemon garlic chicken recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Lemon juice: Lemon Curd, Lemon Bars, Lemon Meringue Pie
- Garlic: Roasted Garlic with Olives and Feta, Guacamole Salad, Spinach Manicotti
- Olive oil: Pesto, Seared Scallops, Cioppino
- Paprika: Sweet Potato Fries, Turkey Chili, Baked Pork Chop
- Italian seasoning: Italian Meatball, Hamburger Casserole, Chicken Spaghetti
- Chicken: Broiled Chicken with Pineapple, Baked Buffalo Chicken, Chicken Margherita
- Orzo: Spinach and Orzo Salad
RELATED: 15 Easy Single Serving Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried this easy lemon with garlic chicken recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Lemon Garlic Chicken For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 6 ounce chicken breast
- ½ cup uncooked orzo
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Place the chicken breast in a shallow dish and pour marinade over the chicken. Cover dish and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until completely cooked through and chicken is no longer pink inside.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and cover it with a piece of foil and allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- While the chicken is baking, make the orzo. Fill a medium sized pot ¾ full with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Add dried orzo to the pot and boil the orzo about 8 minutes or until it has a firm, chewy texture, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking together.
- Drain orzo in a colander. Add the orzo back into the warm pot and stir in the butter.
- Slice the chicken and serve over cooked orzo.
Notes
- To get the most juice out of a lemon, roll the lemon on the countertop while pressing it gently.
- If you don't have Italian seasoning, feel free to use dried thyme or dried basil instead.
- Refrigerate leftover lemon chicken in a covered container for up to 3 days.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Shirlee says
I know this recipe is going to be good, as all your recipes I enjoy. But why Refrigerate the chicken rwhile marinating. I thought all meat and foul
should be at room temperature before cooking. Please explain.
Joanie Zisk says
Always marinate in the refrigerator. Marinating at room temperature can allow dangerous bacteria to grow and lead to foodborne illnesses.
Susie says
I made this for my elderly mother who eats like a bird - she finished it ALL and loved every bite!!
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so glad she enjoyed it.
ANNA M. POTJE says
I take it the chicken is removed from the marinade before baking?
Joanie Zisk says
Yes. Take the chicken out of the marinade and place it on a baking sheet.