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Citrusy, fresh Lemon Pepper Chicken is an easy healthy meal to enjoy. Made with fresh lemon and ready in 30 minutes. Paired with some white rice and fresh grilled veggies you will love this meal all year long.
Why Make Lemon Pepper Chicken
the list goes on and on. I love the combination of fresh citrus and cracked black pepper. It’s a wonderful marriage for so many proteins. Try my Lemon Pepper Salmon.
- Fresh. This recipe uses fresh lemon and pepper (no premix seasoning needed!)
- Easy To Make. Have dinner ready in about 30 minutes.
- Meal Prep Friendly.
- Healthy.
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Chicken Breasts. I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but you can also use thighs.
- Lemon. Fresh lemon is the key to success in this recipe. Zest and juice will be used.
- Fresh Black Pepper. Fresh cracked black pepper is best.
- Onion. Fresh onion is used to marinade the chicken. You have the option to bake or grill it with the chicken.
- Garlic. This is to season the chicken.
- Olive Oil. This is to marinate and coat the chicken (it helps the lemon zest and pepper stick to the chicken breasts).
- Sides. I pair mine with seasonal veggies (aspargus for example) and some white rice. but you can pair it with several sides!
Steps To Make This Recipe
Step One. Slice the chicken breasts in half for a quicker cook. Add them to a large bowl, add the onions, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, zest, salt and cracked black pepper. Let it marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 5 hours.
Step Two. Once the lemon pepper chicken has had a bit to marinate, start the rice or any veggie sides you are serving.
Step Three. Cook the chicken. For the grill; add it to a preheated grill (375-400ºF) on medium heat. Cook for about 15-18 minutes flipping halfway through at least once. Be sure to cook until internal temp reaches 165ºF. For The Oven; Preheat to 375ºF add the chicken to a sheet pan, add the onions and garlic if desired. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or internal temp reaches 165ºF.
Step Four. Let the chicken rest for a bit. Add any additional zest, juice or pepper if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Pairings
Lemon Pepper Chicken pairs great with fresh seasonal veggies and rice of any variety. If you want to really making it a filling meal, I have some suggestions.
- Lemon Kale Caesar Salad, Roasted Red Pepper Salad or Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad would be lovely.
- Veggie loaded sides like, Grilled Zucchini Salad, Spicy Cucumber Salad, or Honey Roasted Carrots all make great sides.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the chicken! Always use a digital thermometer for the best cooked chicken.
- Taste as you go. You may want extra lemon zest and pepper.
- Add your favorite seasonings to the chicken. Lemon pepper is versatile. Add Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes, even dried basil would be great.
- If you want an extra “oomph” of flavor, brush a little soy sauce on the finished chicken before serving. YUM.
Yes, chicken thighs work wonderful for lemon pepper chicken. You will need to adjust the cooking just a tad bit.
Yes. This meal is very clean and healthy. It’s made with fresh lemon and fresh black pepper, you can control the sodium and rest assure it’s a flavorful healthy meal.
Make this meal ahead of time! You can pre marinate the chicken (up to 24 hours ahead of time). You can also precook the chicken and reheat when ready to serve.
Other Chicken Recipes TO Try
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- lemon zester or microplane
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken breasts, halved , boneless/skinless
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3-4 Tbsp lemon zest , more as needed.
- ⅓ cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed , more as needed. About 3 lemons
- 2 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper, more as needed.
- ½ tsp salt , more as needed.
- ½ white onion, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Optional Sides
- grilled asparagus
- long grain white rice
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half for a quicker cook. Add them to a large bowl, add the onions, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, zest, salt and cracked black pepper, massage and mix well into the chicken. Let it marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 24 hours max.
- Once the lemon pepper chicken has had a bit to marinate, start the rice or any veggie sides you are serving.
- Cook the chicken. For the grill; add it to a preheated grill (400º) on medium heat. cook for about 15-18 minutes flipping halfway through at least once. Be sure to cook until internal temp reaches 165ºF. I find flip the breasts a few times makes an even cook on the grill. For The Oven; Preheat to 375ºF add the chicken to a sheet pan, add the onions and garlic if desired. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or internal temp reaches 165ºF.
- Let the chicken rest for a bit. Add any additional zest, lemon juice or cracked pepper if desired. (see notes for a little extra tip on flavor) Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t overcook the chicken! Always use a digital thermometer for the best cooked chicken.
- Taste as you go. You may want extra lemon zest and pepper.
- Add your favorite seasonings to the chicken. Lemon pepper is versatile. Add Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes, even dried basil would be great.
- If you want an extra “oomph” of flavor, brush a little soy sauce on the finished chicken before serving. YUM.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
