This Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe is so versatile. It can be used on the grill, baked, pan fried, or even pressure cooked. It’s perfect for meal prep because you can just decide what to do with it day of, and it’s ZERO WW POINTS!
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You guys, this is the only Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe you’ll ever need!! The lemon garlic marinade is so simple and full of fresh, healthy flavors that infuse your chicken breasts, or chicken thighs, with so much intensity, your taste buds will wake right up.
I meal prepped this Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe last Sunday and then used it in two different preparations – one baked and one pan fried – and I will be sharing both of those complete recipes with you soon!
Making The Best Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe
Step 1 – Zest and juice the lemons
You are going to use both lemon zest and lemon juice in this lemon garlic marinade to make sure you get a super charged lemon flavor.
PRO TIP:
Always zest your lemons before cutting them open to juice! A whole lemon is going to be a thousand times easier to zest than a cut or juiced lemon.
When juicing the lemons, you can use any kind of juicing tool you have on hand. I’m very low tech because I keep forgetting to buy something that will make it simpler, so I just use my hands and a mesh strainer over a bowl.
This handheld Citrus Juicer is the one I will eventually get, but this simple Table Top Juicer is also a great, affordable option!
Step 2 – Combine marinade ingredients
In the same bowl with the zest, add the lemon juice, chopped parsley, minced garlic, salt, pepper and oil. Then just use a fork or a whisk to mix it all together.
Step 3 – The chicken breasts
I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts this time so that I could easily cook them in any application I wanted, but you could absolutely use bone in, skin on chicken breasts! In fact, that is my favorite way to cook chicken breasts.
Try my recipes with bone in, skin on chicken in these posts for Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken Breasts, Baked Italian Chicken Thighs, and Oven Roasted Greek Chicken.
Trim the raw chicken breasts of any excess fat, and then put them in a zip top bag or air tight container that you will use to marinate the chicken breasts.
PRO TIP:
Put your zip top bag in a mixing bowl and roll the top back so you can easily add your chicken breasts and lemon garlic marinade without getting the zipper part of the bag dirty.
Step 4 – Put it all together
Pour the marinade into the bag with the chicken. Close the zip top almost all the way, then gently use your hands to press out as much air as possible before closing it all the way.
Do another run over the zipper to make sure it’s closed tightly.
Then use your hands to mush the marinade around and completely cover every piece of chicken. This part takes a minute and you really need to use your fingers to get it all mixed together.
The next step from here depends on what you want to do with this Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe!
How long can you marinate meat in lemon juice? How long can I leave chicken in marinade?
Acids like lemon juice break down the proteins in the meat the longer they sit. So, with this Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe, you can let the meat marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 12 hours. After that, the texture of the meat will change and not be as appetizing.
However, if you place the chicken and marinade directly into the freezer, it will keep for up to 3 months. Then, when you want to cook it, you just submerge the bag of frozen chicken in cool water for 1 1/2 – 2 hours on the countertop, or up to 24 hours in the fridge. That will quickly thaw it and then you can cook immediately.
How do you know if chicken is done cooking?
You can cook this Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe in so many ways. You can make grilled chicken on the stove or on the bbq, make baked chicken breasts in the oven, pan fry chicken on the stove top, save time with pressure cooker chicken, or put in the crock pot for slow cooker chicken.
Any way you choose, the best way to know if chicken is done cooking is to use an instant read thermometer like THIS ONE.
Chicken is fully cooked when the middle of the thickest part reaches 165 degrees.
LOOKING FOR MORE LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN RECIPES?
- Easy Creamy Lemon Garlic Skillet Chicken
- Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Chicken with Lemon Garlic Pasta
- Instant Pot Low Carb Lemon Garlic Chicken
EASY CHICKEN RECIPES ARE ALWAYS NEEDED!
TRY THESE:
- Whole Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Paleo Cranberry Chicken for the Instant Pot
- Sun Dried Tomato and Artichoke Chicken Breasts
- Spanish Chicken and Rice
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Thighs in Orange Sauce
- Meal Prep Cashew Chicken
- Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Veggies (fake sugar free)
Vanessa at The Cheerful Kitchen
Yields 8 chicken breasts
This Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe is so versatile. It's perfect for meal prep because you can decide what to do with it day of. Zero WW points!
5 minPrep Time
5 minTotal Time
Save Recipe5 based on 1 review(s)
Ingredients
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- Juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup oil (olive, avocado, or grape seed)
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Place a gallon sized (freezer safe if freezing) zip top bag in a mixing bowl and fold the top back so it doesn't get dirty.
- Trim the chicken breasts of any excess fat and place them in the bag.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken in the bag.
- Close the zip top almost all of the way, then use your hands to gently press as much air as possible out of the bag before sealing completely. Go over the zipper again to make sure it's firmly closed.
- Use your hands to squish the chicken and marinade around until the marinade is evenly disbursed and covers each chicken breast.
- If you are freezing then you can simply place the entire bag into the freezer and keep there for up to 3 months. Freeze in smaller portions if you like.
- When ready to use, defrost by submerging the frozen bag in a bowl of cool water for 1 1/2-2 hours on the countertop or all day in the fridge.
- Marinate for 30 minutes -12 hours before cooking. Longer than that will cause the lemon juice to break down the proteins in the chicken and will alter the texture of the meat negatively.
- Place marinated chicken on a baking sheet or in a baking dish and cook at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. They are done cooking when an instant read thermometer says the thickest part of the breast has reached 165 degrees. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
- Grill on medium/high for 5-7 minute per side, depending on the size of the breast. They are done cooking when an instant read thermometer says the thickest part of the breast has reached 165 degrees. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
- Heat a skillet to medium/high with 1 tablespoon of oil and cook each breast for 7-10 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the breast. Keeping a lid on the pan will allow them to cook quicker. They are done cooking when an instant read thermometer says the thickest part of the breast has reached 165 degrees. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
- Set your pressure cooker to high pressure for 8 minutes for small breasts and 10 minutes for large breasts, and then manually release the pressure when done. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the actual cooking time starts.
Jean says 
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