Baked Lemon Chicken Breast

A no-fuss main that's perfect for entertaining or a weeknight dinner - no wonder it's Ina's favorite dish from her book Barefoot Contessa "How easy is that".

Yield:
4 servings
Category:
Chicken & Other Birds
Cuisine:
American
Prep Time:
10 min
Cooking Time:
25 min
Total Time:
35 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • ⅓ cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, from 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1½ teaspoons fresh or dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on if available
  • 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat the oven to 400 F.
  2. Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just one minute — but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt, and pour into a 9-by-12-inch baking dish.
  3. Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in eight wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.
  4. For a convection oven, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant thermometer registers 155 degrees (temp will rise while resting). For a standard oven bake for 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

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