This Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe is one of the best ways to cook marinated chicken. The lemon pepper marinade infuses so much flavor into chicken breast, then just put it in the oven to bake into the most tender and juicy meal!
What’s in This Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe?
This baked lemon pepper chicken is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes for weeknight dinners! The lemon pepper marinade is quick to throw together, and marinating the chicken breast is hands-off.
- Lemon Pepper Marinade: Made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and lemon pepper seasoning, this easy marinade adds so much flavor!
- Chicken: We used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but this marinade is great on every part of a chicken!
- Butter: Melted unsalted butter helps keep the chicken moist and tender as it bakes in the oven.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover baked lemon pepper chicken in an airtight container, or a resealable bag. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
How to Freeze
To freeze, let the chicken cool completely. Then wrap each breast in foil (this helps to prevent freezer burn), and place them in resealable, freezer-safe bags. They will keep up to 3 months. Just defrost and bake!
Notes from the Test Kitchen
The whole family will love this marinated baked lemon pepper chicken recipe. The simple yet bold flavor will leave everyone wanting more and more. It’s quick and delicious, the perfect combination for weeknight dinners!
Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Balsamic Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade (click for recipe)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to even thickness
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Prepare your marinade according to linked recipe instructions. Place marinade in a bag and add all four chicken breasts. Place in the fridge to marinate for 30-60 minutes.1 cup Balsamic Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade, 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 450°F.
- Remove the marinated chicken from the bag and add in a single layer to a 9×13 baking dish.
- Pour the melted butter over the four chicken breasts.1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Pour the rest of the marinade from the bag into the dish/over the chicken.1 cup Balsamic Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade
- Cook for 15-18 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature reaches at least 165°F).
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Be sure to fully preheat the oven for best results.
- Take a mallet or a meat tenderizer and give the chicken a few wacks. This will level out the meat ao that it cooks evenly, eliminating the risk of some parts cooking faster than others.
- Arrange lemon pepper chicken in single layer in the baking dish and give them space. More space allows the hot air to circulate on all sides of the chicken so that it roasts up nicely.
- Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165F. I highly suggest using an instant read meat thermometer to make sure it’s fully cooked.
- Let marinated chicken breast rest for 10 minutes before serving.
How to Make Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Step by Step
Marinate the Chicken: Prepare your marinade according to the linked recipe instructions. Place 1 cup of the marinade in a bag and add all 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Place in the fridge to marinate for 30-60 minutes.
Coat the Chicken in Butter: When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 450°F. Remove the marinated chicken from the bag and add in a single layer to a 9×13 baking dish. Pour 1 tablespoon of melted unsalted butter over the four chicken breasts.
Pour the Marinade Over the Chicken: Pour the rest of the marinade from the bag into the dish/over the chicken.
Bake the Chicken: Cook for 15-18 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature reaches at least 165°F). Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
More Marinated Chicken Recipes We Love
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken
- Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks
- Chimichurri Chicken
- Easy Jerk Chicken
- Chipotle Lime Chicken
Turns out moist and tender every time I use this recipe!
That makes me so happy!
Lemon pepper chicken is my all time favorite so you know I had to try this and it did not disappoint!
Makes me so happy!
Simple and delicious, love it!
Thanks Billy
The marinade for this is sooo good! My family loves this chicken!
Yay!
This chicken looks incredible! And I love how easy it is! Thanks!
Thanks Liz!
Admittedly, I haven’t made this recipe yet, but why the boneless, skinless thing? Bone in chicken is so much juicier and more flavorful and I cannot contemplate chicken without a crispy skin.
Hi! It’s just a personal preference, you can 100% make it with the bone-in/skin chicken. I would just sear both sides of the chicken before baking to get that crispy skin 🙂
How many batches of the marinade recipe do I need to make the 1 cup required for this dish?
Incredible!
Makes me so happy!
Hello, If i want to make this recipe with whole chicken ,what’s the ideal weight of raw chicken ?
I highly recommend chicken breast, but definitely go on the smaller side.
None of your Pinterest links works. I really wanted to save this recipe but I have to right click “save to desktop” and copy to Pinterest and then drage to recycling bin.I’m an Xfinity customer so it’s not my service. Can you fix? I’ve several chicken dishes of yours and they have all turned out beautifully.
I’m not sure what’s going wrong, as the Pinterest links are all working on my end! When I click on the button, it opens a new page and I am able to select an image to use for my pin. Once I select an image, a new window pops up asking me which board to save it to. If this isn’t happening for you, make sure you are signed into your Pinterest account on the browser you are using. If you’re still having trouble, you may want to download the Pinterest save extension for your browser! Hope this helps!
Took out real good