Lemon Chicken

Hello and welcome!

This recipe was adapted from Pinterest for Lemon Christmas...Thanks much Annie's Eats!

Lemon Christmas started with a story of Domathes passed down through the generations of my neighborhood, but became a five hour cooking spree with my Aunt Connie followed by dinner with my parents and brother, Aunt Connie, and Uncle Dick. In a single afternoon, we made Domathes, Lemon Chicken, Lemon Risotto, Lemon Broccoli, and Limoncello Cookies! It was a fantastic experience I will never forget and look forward to repeating every year with a different ingredient theme (hint hint ;) )

The only hiccup of Lemon Christmas was my wonderful little brother who absolutely will not stand for Lemon in his chicken....or so he thinks....in light of this, Lemon Chicken also contains the sister adaptation of Plain Baked Chicken for Kirby.






The Recipe: Lemon Chicken

• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
•  2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 6 chicken fillets
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

The Process: 

1. Combine the lemon zest, salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, and rosemary in a ziploc bag. 
2. Add fillets to the bag. 
3. Shake/rub to mix. 
4. Refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate. 
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (about 218 degrees C)
6. Put chicken fillets in an oven-safe, preferably porcelain dish to cook. Include all marinade. 
7. Brush fillets with melted butter. 
8. Bake for 50-55 minutes, watching carefully in the last 10 minutes or so based on the typical tendencies of your oven. 
9. Enjoy! 

The Picky Eater Process: 

1. Combine 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper in a ziploc bag. 
2. Add 1 chicken fillet to the bag. 
3. Shake/mix. 
4. Marinate for 2 hours. 
5. In a separate dish, place the fillet and any remaining marinade. 
6. Brush with melted butter. 
7. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 425 degrees (at the same time as the other chicken. 
8. Serve to your picky eater ;) 

The Calories: Lemon Chicken

Chicken (6 fillets): 684 calories

Lemon Zest: 3 calories

Lemon Juice: 20 calories

Rosemary: 2 calories

Thyme: 2 calories

Salt: 0 calories

Pepper: 0 calories

Butter: 204 calories

Garlic: 8 calories

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TOTAL: 923 calories

Remember, this was for 6 people. That means a single serving is only 154 calories! This might be the most healthy chicken recipe I've ever had for the taste. No replacements, all nutrients, all taste, and fewer calories than a cupcake. Wow. 

The Calories: Picky Eater Chicken

Chicken (1 fillet): 114 calories

Olive Oil: 119 calories

Salt: 0 Calories

Pepper: 0 Calories

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TOTAL: 233 calories

This assumes that all of the olive oil was actually eaten, but there was still marinade left in the dish when Kirby was done. Personally, I think the plain chicken has less flavor. All of the moisture and flavor in this version of the chicken came from the olive oil (aka fat), whereas a lot of the moisture and flavor in lemon chicken came from the lemon juice. 

What went right:

           We lucked into some MAGNIFICENT meats here. I mean, these chicken fillets were enormous and juicy, and the marinade complimented them perfectly. The herbs held enough flavor to equal that of the lemon, so the chicken was moist and thick, but not excessively lemony. The bake time was absolutely perfect. Some of our table was unable to finish even one fillet because they were that thick and meaty. Love! 

What went wrong: 

           This chicken was so good, I ate the table leftovers...oops ;) 

What I would do next time: 

            Absolutely nothing. This was utterly fantastic. Some other additions I might make in the absence of our Lemon Christmas sides are cherry tomatoes, some parmesan cheese, and some pasta shells or flat noodles. For a healthier adaptation, I might try baking it with some orzo and basil in the dish, or even wild rice (in honor of my dad's traditional Chicken and Wild Rice dish, one of my favorite meals of all time). 

Would I make this in college: 

             Possibly. It takes a while to marinate and if I were only cooking for me, I would end up buying a massive excess of herbs.

Overall, a wonderful main meat for Lemon Christmas, and a new favorite chicken of mine!