Easy Baked Lemon Butter Chicken Recipe
Easy Baked Lemon Butter Chicken is a delicious, one-pan dinner that combines juicy chicken pieces baked in a creamy, tangy sauce made from lemon, butter, garlic, parmesan, and cream. Perfect for weeknight meals, this recipe delivers restaurant-quality flavor without the fuss, featuring tender chicken baked in a rich, buttery sauce that the whole family will love.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 10 chicken pieces (preferably Perdue thighs for better juiciness)
- 2.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp chicken seasoning
For the Sauce:
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (Kerrygold recommended for richer flavor)
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1.5 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken stock (Swanson brand preferred)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Prepare the Mise en Place and Season the Chicken: Finely dice the red onion into 1/4-inch pieces, mince the garlic, chop the parsley, and grate the parmesan cheese fresh if possible. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels, then season them generously on all sides with salt, paprika, and chicken seasoning. Set the seasoned chicken aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Build the Lemon Butter Sauce Base: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced red onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic, parsley, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and dried thyme; cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant, letting the aromatics release their flavors.
- Complete and Cool the Sauce: Pour the chicken stock into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the freshly grated parmesan and cream until smooth and fully combined. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes to prevent partial cooking of the chicken when combined.
- Assemble and Bake the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Arrange the seasoned chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9×13-inch baking dish, skin-side up. Pour the cooled sauce evenly over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through (around 50 minutes) and spooning some sauce over the top to keep it moist.
- Finish with a Golden Broil: After baking, transfer the baking dish to the broiler set on high. Broil the chicken for 2-4 minutes, watching closely to achieve a golden brown, caramelized finish on the sauce. Remove once light brown spots appear to prevent burning.
- Plate and Serve: Let the chicken rest in the dish for 2-3 minutes. Transfer each piece to plates and spoon remaining sauce from the dish over the chicken for extra moisture and flavor. Serve over rice, pasta, or with your favorite sides.
Notes
- Let the sauce cool before pouring over raw chicken to avoid separation of cream and cheese during baking.
- Check internal temperature around 90 minutes; chicken is done at 165°F (74°C).
- Flip chicken midway through cooking and spoon some sauce back onto pieces to keep moist.
- If sauce thickens too much during baking, add a splash of chicken stock to loosen it.
- Substitutions: use yellow or white onion if red not available; fresh basil or cilantro for parsley; Pecorino Romano or Asiago as parmesan alternatives.
- The recipe uses bone-in, skin-on chicken for juiciness; boneless skinless pieces are also fine but reduce cooking time by 10-15 minutes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days; freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Reheat covered in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or microwave 2-3 minutes on medium, adding some stock or cream if sauce thickens.
Keywords: lemon butter chicken, baked chicken, creamy chicken recipe, easy chicken dinner, one pan chicken, family-friendly chicken
Find it online: https://cookwithyana.com/easy-baked-lemon-butter-chicken-recipe/
