Baked Lemon Butter Chicken
Baked Lemon Butter Chicken is a fast, juicy, and flavor-packed dinner made with simple ingredients. A quick stovetop sear locks in moisture before the chicken finishes in the oven with a rich lemon butter sauce that keeps every bite tender and satisfying.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in, about 225 g each
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
For the Lemon Butter Sauce
- 56 g unsalted butter divided
- 4 garlic cloves finely minced
- 30 ml fresh lemon juice
- 0.25 tsp onion powder
- 30 ml chicken broth optional, for moisture
For Finish
- 8 g fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 205°C. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the chicken skin-side down and sear for 4–5 minutes until golden and crisp. Flip and cook for 1 minute more.
- Lower the heat slightly and move the chicken to the side of the pan. Add the remaining butter, garlic, and onion powder. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the lemon juice and chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Spoon some sauce over the chicken, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 12–18 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 74°C.
- Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
This recipe also works with boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Let the chicken rest before serving to keep it juicy. Serve with vegetables, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.