Prep a batch of juicy Lemon Herb Baked Chicken for meal prep. This lemon herb chicken is great for salads, wraps and sandwiches. We make it almost every week in our home!
Weeknight-easy
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: How to bake juicy, flavorful chicken breasts without marinating
Worth It: It’s a satisfying, protein-forward option that actually keeps you full
Bonus: Stores well and tastes just as good cold
Simplify meal prep with this oven baked chicken breast
I love having precooked proteins in the fridge to grab all week. This lemon herb chicken is the perfect protein for many meals.
Most people think marinated chicken has the most flavor, but you can skip the marinating step here and still have super juicy chicken. Baking the chicken with lemon juice and fresh herbs infuses it with the best flavor.
Bake a batch of these lemon herb chicken breasts on Sunday and use them throughout the week. My favorite way to use these healthy cooked chicken breasts is on salads.
This chicken is so tender, juicy and flavorful, but the flavor is neutral enough to be very versatile. I love to make salads with this chicken, lots of veggies, and my Mason Jar Salad Dressing.
Kitchen tools
- Baking dish
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Instant read thermometer
Serving suggestions
This lemon baked chicken recipe is truly so versatile. It can be served so many different ways throughout the week.
Like I said it is great with salads. I love to pair it with a veggie couscous salad or this easy Greek salad to add some extra protein.
I also like to slice it super thin and use in place of lunchmeat in sandwiches, wraps or paninis. My favorite panini is made with cheddar, bacon and chicken. Then, I dip it in a creamy honey mustard sauce.
For sides, I like to use the air fryer while the chicken bakes so everything is done at the same time. Makes these air fryer red potatoes to serve with your chicken.
Ingredients
You will be amazed at how easy it is to make herb chicken breast in the oven with just a few ingredients.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – I aim for 3-4 chicken breasts for this recipe because they fit well into the baking pan
- Fresh lemon juice – it is essential to use fresh squeezed lemon juice to get the proper flavor in this chicken marinade. I do not recommend using jarred or pre squeezed lemon juice.
- Olive oil – I always use a high quality extra virgin olive oil when baking.
- Dijon mustard – if you do not like dijon mustard or do not want to use it, you can use 2 tsp of kosher salt in the marinade instead.
- Garlic powder – add other dry spices to the marinade mixture like onion powder, paprika or even crushed red pepper flakes for a little spice. If you prefer you can use fresh garlic cloves in place of the garlic powder.
- Black pepper – a little finely ground black pepper adds just the right amount of spice to the marinade.
- Fresh or dried parsley – I prefer to use fresh parsley because it really makes the chicken pop. If you do not like parsley, you can use a few sprigs of any fresh herbs you have like thyme, rosemary, basil, or oregano. You can also use a blend of herbs.
Ingredient Substitutions
There are so many ways to customize this lemon baked chicken to fit your preferences. First of all, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
If you use thighs, they may cook faster or slower than the breasts. Be sure to keep an eye on the temperature so they don’t overcook.
When you are baking chicken with lemon, you can intensify the flavor by using lemon zest along with the lemon juice. You can even put whole lemon slices on top of the breasts before placing the casserole dish in the oven.
To intensify the garlic herb flavor of this lemon chicken breast, replace the garlic powder with fresh garlic. I would use about 3 cloves of garlic finely minced and mix that into the marinade.
Parsley is my favorite herb to use for this herb chicken, but you can truly use any herbs you like or a mixture or herbs. I think it would be delicious to combine fresh parsley, fresh dill and chives for a really herby chicken marinade.
You could even use fresh basil for this baked chicken. I know my garden always has an abundance of basil every summer that would be perfect for this recipe!
Let’s make some Lemon Herb Baked Chicken!
Step 1: Prep lemon baked chicken
To begin, preheat oven to 400F. Then, in a small bowl or pitcher mix oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, pepper, garlic powder and parsley.
Next, add chicken breast to an oven-safe dish. I used a square 10×10 ceramic casserole dish. Then, pour lemon-herb mixture over the chicken and toss the chicken to coat.
Spoon some of the excess marinade over the top of the breasts before baking.
Step 2: Bake the chicken
Then, place the casserole dish in the oven and bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes. Exact timing will depend on the size of the chicken breasts that are baking.
After 30 minutes, test the temperature of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer. The thickest part of the breast should reach an internal temperature of at least 165F.
When the chickens’ internal temp reads 165F remove the casserole dish from the oven. Finally, allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
I like to store the chicken in any of the leftover juice from the bottom of the casserole dish to keep it extra juicy.
Storage and reheating
Once prepared, allow this lemon herb baked chicken to cool completely. You can slice it before storage or store it in the refrigerator whole.
Either way, I like to store the chicken with the leftover marinade from the bottom of the casserole dish to keep it moist. Place chicken with marinade in an airtight container.Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I prefer to eat this cold instead of reheating it. If you do want to reheat it, I recommend storing it whole and reheating gently in the oven at 325F until just warmed through.
Check out these other baked chicken recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Lemon Herb Baked Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh finely chopped parsley or 1 tbsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Mix oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, pepper, garlic powder and parsley in a small mixing bowl
- Add chicken breast to an oven-safe dish – I used a casserole dish
- Pour lemon-herb mixture over the chicken and toss the chicken to coat
- Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts
- After 30 minutes test the temperature of the chicken with an instant-read thermometer – the thickest part of the breast should read at least 165F
- When the chickens’ internal temp reads 165F remove the casserole dish from the oven
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- Store chicken with any excess juices to keep it moist
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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