Simple Easy Lemon Butter Baked Chicken

This simple, easy and effortless lemon butter baked chicken flavored with lemon, caramelized onions, roast garlic, and herbs is perfect on busy working days when you have no time to spend cooking in the kitchen. Putting the ingredients in the baking pan takes no more than five minutes and the oven does the rest.

Table of Content

• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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This was one of those busy weeks with two wedding cakes and kids on vacation!! And you know two wedding cakes means no time to stand around in the kitchen cooking even a basic meal.

My Rhea loves her chicken and no matter how busy I am I have to make something chicken for her or else she does not eat well.  Aadi is more accommodating and a simple pasta makes him happy.  But Rhea, she's not easy to please. This is one she loves very much.

On days that I am so busy caking I make quick and easy meals such as this baked lemon butter chicken. It's so simple and easy to make because all I do is throw in a couple ingredients in the pan along with the chicken and place it in the oven. The oven does all the work for me while I continue with my cake decorating. And that roasted garlic cloves are to die for. I must admit my favorite has to be the caramelized lemon slices. LOVE!

An hour is all it takes!

An hour later, my home smells with amazing food as if I spent hours cooking. The kids come back from school and lunch is ready.

This is how it comes out of the oven!!
Doesn't it look scrumptious? You can serve it right out of this pan. But careful it's hot!! I love how to lemon and the onions all get caramelized.

Now, you can serve it right outta baking dish, but my kids are small. So, to keep it safe, I usually take things out of my hot oven pans and onto a platter. You can also place the veggies alongside, but I place them separately.

And the gravy?

Well, I love pan juices and this is absolutely delicious you wanna save it. This is just the pan juices in there with all that caramelized goodness. If I have a big batch, then I reduce it and thicken it with a tablespoon of flour. Otherwise, I just serve the little there is in a sauce boat.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Chicken - I like to use quarters or chicken and thighs for this. I would not recommend chicken breast. And yet, if you do use chicken breast, cook it for no more than 30 minutes
• Lemon - This adds a nice zing to the chicken and even if you don't love lemons, like my husband, you will love it on this dish.
• Onions - You can use any onions, but I especially prefer red onions because they caramelize and taste delicious.
• Garlic - The minced garlic adds flavor to the chicken directly. But, the roasted garlic cloves are a treat you will love with a slice of bread. Roasted garlic is not garlicky but sweet like jam and makes a great spread on bread during dinner. If you haven't tried it - I insist.

I'll be honest, this is so popular in our home that it's moved from just busy working days to the weekend when I can make a few other side dishes too. I made this recently for a festive family dinner - my popular mushroom quiche, but I made this one in a puff pastry instead of a crust. I also made Lemon rosemary roast potatoes, but I used potato cubes instead of baby potatoes,  and Sesame Green Beans.

Step by step instructions

Prepare

• Preheat oven at 200 C / 390 F.
• Clean and pat dry the chicken pieces - leave the skin on.
• Add minced garlic, sweet paprika, dried herbs, some more salt and pepper to the butter.
• Slice whole lemons and onion into round disc - set aside.
• Open the garlic head into individual cloves but leave the skin on.

Bake

• Place chicken in a baking dish.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Generously rub the chicken with the prepared butter (compound butter).
• Place chicken in the pan.
• Distribute lemon and onion slices all over the chicken.
• Cover baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Bake  for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes remove foil baste the chicken with the pan juices.
• Cook uncovered for another 30 minutes until the top is golden and the chicken is cooked thru.
• Enjoy!

Pan juices/gravy

• The pan juices can be served with the chicken just as it
  (which is what I usually do).
• If you prefer to make a gravy, pour the pan juices in a frying pan.
• Cook until reduced to half.
• Add a tablespoon of four and cook further until thick.
• Strain thru a sieve and serve.

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Printable Recipe