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Lemon Rosemary Baked Chicken

By Sarah On   |  Updated:

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Marinated in fresh lemon and rosemary, this lemon rosemary baked chicken is packed with flavor and a weeknight favorite!

Marinated in fresh lemon and rosemary, this lemon rosemary baked chicken is packed with flavor and a weeknight favorite!

Easy chicken dinners are the name of the game around here! Even more so if we’re piling everything in a marinade and letting it make its own magic.

And this chicken is indeed magical. We’ve got tons of fresh lemon and rosemary goodness coming into play here and infusing all that fantastic flavor into the juicy chicken thighs.

The marinade for this chicken is seriously SO simple since it takes only minutes to prep in the morning and then you can forget about it until you’re ready to bake it.

Marinated in fresh lemon and rosemary, this lemon rosemary baked chicken is packed with flavor and a weeknight favorite!

And let me tell you, the fragrant herby lemon smells that are going to fill your kitchen are entirely unreal. Meet your new favorite chicken dinner, y’all!

This Lemon Rosemary Chicken features…

  • Lots of flavorful fresh lemon and rosemary
  • An insanely juicy and tender texture
  • A quick marinade that comes together in minutes
Marinated in fresh lemon and rosemary, this lemon rosemary baked chicken is packed with flavor and a weeknight favorite!

Making the Lemon Rosemary Chicken

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

  • Lemon
  • Honey
  • Rosemary
  • Garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Chicken thighs

Choosing Your Chicken

We recommend using boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. This cut of chicken is best suited for this dish because it cooks up fast with a very juicy texture.

Bone-in chicken thighs or boneless breasts may also be used in this recipe, however, they will likely take a bit longer to cook than boneless thighs. Use 25 minutes as a benchmark time to check the chicken and always test chicken with a meat thermometer to determine doneness.

Marinated in fresh lemon and rosemary, this lemon rosemary baked chicken is packed with flavor and a weeknight favorite!

Tips for Perfect Lemon Rosemary Chicken

  1. Use fresh ingredients – it’s essential that you use fresh-squeezed lemon juice, rosemary, and garlic for this recipe to achieve the boldest flavor.
  2. Marinate chicken at least 2 hours – a good rule of thumb with marinating is 2 hours if you’re in a hurry and up to 12 if you’ve got some extra time.
  3. Marinate chicken on bottom shelf of fridge – it’s always a good idea to keep raw meats away from fresh produce and on the bottom shelf of your fridge to reduce risk of cross contamination.
  4. Bake chicken in marinade – pour the marinade over the chicken for baking. This gives the chicken some extra flavor while it cooks.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this chicken.

  • Use a different citrus – try lime or orange in place of the lemon.
  • Grill chicken – remove chicken from marinade, pat dry, and grill over medium-high heat until chicken registers 165F.
  • Try a different herb – try dill, parsley, or thyme in place of the rosemary.
  • Add heat – try adding a few shakes of red pepper flakes for some heat.

Serving Suggestions

This chicken goes well alongside a variety of side dishes. It’s great alongside roast potatoes, veggies, salads, or buttered noodles. You can even chop up leftovers and use them in a wrap, sandwich, or salad!

Marinated in fresh lemon and rosemary, this lemon rosemary baked chicken is packed with flavor and a weeknight favorite!

There’s just no beating this chicken! The fresh lemon, rosemary, and garlic infuse all their amazing flavor into every inch of the chicken thighs and they cook up SO ridiculously juicy from the hours-long marinade.

Trust me, THIS is the recipe to pull out when you’re trying to impress but still want to keep it easy!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Marinated in fresh lemon and rosemary, this lemon rosemary baked chicken is packed with flavor and a weeknight favorite!

More easy chicken dinners to make next!

Marinated in fresh lemon and rosemary, this lemon rosemary baked chicken is packed with flavor and a weeknight favorite!
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Lemon Rosemary Baked Chicken

Marinated in fresh lemon and rosemary, this lemon rosemary baked chicken is packed with flavor and a weeknight favorite!

This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marinating Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 211kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • Additional sliced lemon and rosemary sprigs for roasting

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, zest, honey, rosemary, garlic, and olive oil together until smooth. Season marinade with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Arrange chicken thighs in marinade, turning to evenly coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator, and allow to marinate 2 hours or up to 12, tossing chicken around in marinade occasionally to evenly coat.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease a baking dish. Pour chicken thighs and marinade into pan and arrange chicken in an even layer. Arrange lemon slices and rosemary sprigs around chicken.
  • Roast chicken at 400F 25-30 minutes until chicken registers 165F. Cool chicken slightly and serve warm. Enjoy!

Notes

Storing Instructions
Store chicken in refrigerator up to 6 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 chicken thigh | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.9g | Protein: 16.1g | Fat: 15.5g | Saturated Fat: 3.6g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3.2g | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below. Feel free to share a picture on Instagram and tag @wholeandheavenlyoven or hashtag it #wholeandheavenlyoven

This post was updated with new recipe tips and photos on 4/4/24.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    I like all kinds of chicken, too, but marinated it one of my favorite ways to prepare it! This lemon rosemary kind looks incredible, Sarah! I love the flavor combination and how juicy the chicken is. Definitely a perfect weeknight meal!

    Reply

  6. Rachael | Spache the Spatula says

    OH man, lemon with chicken is so good! This looks amazing!

    I’ve totally done the same thing with having a hole in your bag. I’ve also broken an entire glass container of sticky, ooey-gooey maple syrup all over my kitchen. That was exactly no fun to clean up, haha

    Reply

  7. Ashley says

    One, this chicken looks awesomeeee! Lemon and rosemary are just so so good together!

    And two, oh my gosh what a mess!! I’ve done stuff like that before too … the clean up stinks!

    Reply

  10. Momma Baker says

    I love the flavor combination of lemon and rosemary!I also love that this recipe is simple to make .I have forgotten to bake the chicken before too 😉 Glad I’m not the only one!

    Reply

  11. Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says

    DUUUUDEE – I’m totally with you! Lemon-marinated chicken is where it’s at – so much moisture and delicious flavors. I’ve never paired lemon chicken with rosemary before, but I’m definitely going to be trying this soon!

    Reply

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