Lemon Pepper Chicken (Print version)

Tender chicken breasts infused with lemon zest and black pepper for a juicy, flavorful main course.

# What you’ll need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lb)

→ Marinade & Seasoning

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
05 - Zest of 1 lemon
06 - Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Garnish (optional)

08 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
09 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# Steps:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry using paper towels.
02 - In a large bowl, combine olive oil, black pepper, sea salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Whisk until well incorporated.
03 - Add chicken breasts to the marinade and toss to coat thoroughly. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes while preheating cooking equipment.
04 - For roasting: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken on parchment-lined baking sheet and roast 20 to 25 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F. For pan-searing: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Sear chicken 5 to 7 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
05 - Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing to retain juices.
06 - Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

# Cooking tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means weeknight dinners suddenly feel fancy without the stress.
  • The lemon and pepper combination is so perfectly balanced that it never gets boring, even when you make it twice in one week.
  • Your kitchen will smell incredible, and guests will swear you spent hours on it.
02 -
  • Thick chicken breasts cook unevenly—pound them to an even thickness or cut them in half horizontally, which I learned the hard way the first time I served chicken that was cooked through at the edges but pink in the middle.
  • Don't skip the resting period; it's the difference between dry chicken and juicy chicken, and it takes the same amount of effort.
  • The marinade is so thin and acidic that 15 minutes is plenty—any longer and the lemon juice can start making the surface mushy instead of seasoned.
03 -
  • Bring your chicken to room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking—this means more even cooking and fewer surprises.
  • If you're pan-searing, don't move the chicken around obsessively; let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes per side so it actually browns instead of just cooking through.
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