Description
Juicy, zesty, and ready in under 30 minutes. This Lemon Pepper Chicken will make you look like a kitchen rockstar without breaking a sweat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6–8 oz each)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approximately 1 medium lemon)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1–2 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Fresh lemon slices for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. If needed, pound between plastic wrap to ½-inch thickness for even cooking.
- In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and salt.
- Drizzle chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then coat evenly with the seasoning mixture on both sides.
- Let seasoned chicken rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add chicken to the hot pan and cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.
- Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Reduce heat to low, add butter and lemon juice to the pan.
- Tilt the pan and baste chicken withthe lemon-butter sauce for about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with fresh lemon slices and chopped parsley if desired.