This recipe was kind of a happy accident. I was planning on making Yassa chicken, a garlicky, lemony chicken that you grill. 🤤 We are seriously spoiled here in Los Angeles. The gorgeous weather means you can pretty much grill out all year long, but a surprise thunderstorm ruined my plans. It was time to get creative, and the results were so amazing I had to share them. This recipe for lemon chicken has both French and Senegalese influences, and boy, is it good. You sear the chicken to get a crisp exterior and then bake it over a bed of sauteed onions in a delightful lemon and mustard sauce. I was so impressed by how well this lemon chicken recipe turned out. For once in my life, I was glad it rained. 😆 Creole seasoning adds a little heat, and then freshly minced garlic, mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a few other basic ingredients make this chicken absolutely delish. The extra 10 minutes or so it will take you to prepare this dish is completely worth it.
Recipe Ingredients
Chicken thighs – I prefer this dark meat for its added flavor, and I use the skin-on variety, which adds some fatty drippings to my lemon mustard sauce, making it extra rich. That said, feel free to use chicken breast here if you prefer white meat.Onions – An essential ingredient in the lemony broth in this recipe, onions add real depth of flavor.Lemon Pepper Sauce – Creole seasoning, garlic, a bay leaf, chicken bouillon, mustard, lemon juice, and pepper flakes make a divine sauce you drizzle over the cooked chicken. 😋
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken
Sear the Chicken
Prepare Chicken – Trim off any excess fat from your cuts of chicken and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. (Photo 1)Season – Salt the chicken and generously rub both sides with Creole spices (salt-free) or your favorite spice mix. (Photo 2)Sear – Next, add about 1 tablespoon of oil to a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot/pan and bring to medium heat. Brown the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side, being careful not to burn it. (Photos 3-4)Set Aside – Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Make the Sauce and Bake
Saute Seasonings – Add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, chicken bouillon powder, mustard, and paprika to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes. (Photos 5-6)Add Liquid – Then, add about 2 cups of broth or water, along with the desired amount of lemon juice, and cook until the flavors come together, for about 3 minutes. (Photo 7)Taste Test – Give it a taste test and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and Creole seasoning as needed.Add Chicken – Add the chicken and its drippings back to the cast iron pan. Top with lemon slices if desired. (Photos 8-9)Bake at 400℉/205℃ for 18- 20 minutes until the chicken is done.Spice it Up – Add about 1 tablespoon of pepper flakes or more if you want to turn up the heat.Serve – Arrange the chicken on a plate and drizzle the sauce over it. Garnish with lemon slices and serve. (Photo 10)
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
This is a super easy make-ahead meal. Simply follow the recipe instructions and then wait for the dish to cool completely. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days before reheating. You can reheat individual plates in the microwave or pour the meal back into your oven-safe pan and reheat in the oven at 350℉/177℃ for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve lemon pepper chicken hot out of the oven over a bed of warm rice or pasta. Make sure you drizzle the chicken with lots of sauce and onions before serving, and garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley if you desire. Store leftover lemon chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days and reheat in the oven or microwave as noted above. You can also freeze this dish in an airtight container for three months. To serve after freezing, allow the container to defrost in the fridge the day before you plan to serve and then reheat just like you would regular leftovers. 🙌
What to Serve With Lemon Pepper Chicken
Serve this with seasoned rice, pasta, or couscous and a side of vegetables. I love serving it with green beans and bacon or a fresh salad. A wedge salad also goes great with this. If you are using this recipe for date night, pair it with your favorite white wine. Or whip up some peach bellinis if you’re feeling a little extra. 🥂
More Fantastic Chicken Recipes to Try
Hawaiian Grilled Chicken ThighsMoroccan Slow Cooker Chicken ThighsCajun Stuffed ChickenChicken TagineInstant Pot Chicken CurryYassa Chicken
Conclusion
You don’t have to get stuck in a chicken rut with lemon pepper chicken. Have you tried this amazing recipe yet? Then leave a recipe review below to let me know if you loved this dish. 🫶
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”g6384xtx” upload-date=”2022-08-01T17:14:10.000Z” name=”LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN revised.mp4″ description=”Lemon Pepper Chicken is a one-pan chicken dish fried and baked to crispy golden perfection in a lip-smacking lemon garlic sauce sprinkled with pepper flakes for an extra kick. ” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”] This blog post was originally published in May 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
