Lemon Pepper Chicken

Sharing is caring!

This Lemon Pepper Chicken is juicy and flavorful! Made with quick homemade seasoning and baked in sauce, this dish is sure to become a hit in your home.

Serve this delicious chicken dish with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli for a dinner your whole family will love.

If you are bored with your chicken dinners, this recipe will save your dinner time! Simple, yet full of flavor, this chicken dish is one of my favorites to make on the weekends or to make ahead for meal prep for the weekdays. I use my easy seasoning because the store-bought tends to have a weird taste and scent. Browning the chicken in the pan before baking traps the juices in each piece. The chicken is tender and delicious in every bite!

Ingredients:

• chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 8oz each
• lemon pepper seasoning: see below for my homemade mix
• flour: I used all-purpose
• olive oil
• butter
• white wine (like Pinot Grigio) or chicken stock
• lemon juice

How to make Lemon Pepper Chicken?

• Prepare the seasoning.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Salt each chicken breast, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning per each breast and rub it in.
• Lightly dredge each piece in flour.
• Heat up oil and butter in a skillet.
• Brown chicken for 4 minutes on each side, until nice and golden.

• Place chicken in a casserole dish.
• Add garlic to skillet and saute for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add wine (or stock) and lemon juice. Simmer for about 4 minutes. Add butter and melt. Pour the sauce over chicken.
• Bake chicken in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes OR until the temperature reaches 165 degrees F, when checked in the thickest part of each breast.

Lemon Pepper Seasoning recipe:

I prefer to make my own spice mix because I find the store-bought kind to have a weird chemical taste and smell. To make your own seasoning, mix the following:

• 1 tablespoon of freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoon dried lemon zest (zest 2 lemons, then spread the zest in a single layer on a plate and microwave in 20-second increments until you see it drying out, then let it cool completely)
• 1,5 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder

Use 3 teaspoons of seasoning in this recipe. Store seasoning in a jar in a cool dry place for up to 2 weeks.

Variations:

• fried in a skillet: You can skip baking the chicken in the casserole dish, but you will have to slice the chicken breasts lengthwise in half, then proceed with the recipe. This will ensure even cooking.
• chicken thighs: you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in this recipe
• chicken wings: follow the recipe but skip the sauce part. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until the temperature is at least 165 degrees F.

Expert tips:

• I recommend homemade seasoning mix for best flavors unless you have one you buy and like the best.
• Apply seasoning to salted chicken breasts, rub it in, then dredge each chicken piece in flour; this ensures the seasoning is on the chicken and sticks, instead of being left in the flour on a plate when dredging it. I found this technique the best during testing this recipe.
• Fry chicken in butter and oil mix for best browning.
• Add butter at the end of making the sauce as it adds rich flavor and beautiful sheen.
• Always check the internal temperature when cooking meat. The thermometer should show at least 165 degrees F for chicken.

Note on servings:

A serving of chicken breast is 3 to 4 ounces. If using 6 to 8-ounce chicken breasts, technically each breast is two servings (for adults).

More easy chicken dinners:

• Creamy Mushroom Garlic Chicken
• Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken
• Garlic and Herb Chicken and Potatoes
• Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our Dinner Category.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment!

5 from 6 votes

Print

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

This Lemon Pepper Chicken is juicy and flavorful! Made with quick homemade seasoning and baked in sauce, this dish is sure to become a hit in your home.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemon pepper chicken

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 236 kcal

Author: Anna

Ingredients

chicken:

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning recipe below
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided

sauce:

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock see note
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic optional
• lemon slices optional

lemon pepper seasoning:

• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dried lemon zest See note
• 1.5 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Prepare the seasoning: mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Salt each chicken breast, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning per each breast and rub it in.
4. Lightly dredge each piece in flour.
5. Heat up oil and butter in a skillet.
6. Brown chicken for 4 minutes on each side, until nice and golden.
7. Place chicken in a casserole dish.
8. Add garlic to skillet and saute for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add wine (or stock) and lemon juice. Simmer for about 4 minutes. Add butter and melt. Pour the sauce over chicken. Add lemon slices.
9. Bake chicken in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes OR until the temperature reaches 165 degrees F when checked in the thickest part of each breast.
10. Serve.

Recipe Notes

• To make dried lemon zest: zest 2 lemons, then spread the zest in a single layer on a plate and microwave in 20-second increments until you see it drying out, then let it cool completely
• Always check the internal temperature when cooking meat. The thermometer should show at least 165 degrees F for chicken.
• Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 236 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 69mg23%

Sodium 538mg23%

Potassium 389mg11%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 200IU4%

Vitamin C 9mg11%

Calcium 22mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.