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.

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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
Simple Easy Lemon Butter Baked Chicken
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Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
- 4 (600 g) Chicken quarters ((1 ½ lb) skin-on)
- 4 tablespoon Butter
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Red onion
- 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 Garlic bulb
- ½ tablespoon Sweet smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon Dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven at 200 C / 400 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 aluminium 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 make a gravy - pour the pan juices in a fry pan
- Cook until reduced to half
- Add a tablespoon of four and cook further until thick
- Strain thru a sieve and serve.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Sara
This looks like a really tasty option for a family meal!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Sara. Happy you think so.
Meredith
I love roasted chicken dinners! And you are absolutely right... the pan drippings make the best sauce.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Meredith. Yeah I love pan drippings to make my sauce.
Amanda Mason
This looks amazing! I just printed this out so I can make it for dinner this week! Looking forward to making this!! YUM! And I'm like you -I'm fine with the time as long as the oven does all the work!!
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely Amanda. Most of my meals are either in the oven or slow cooker cooking themselves on busy cake order days. That's how I manage to function lol Let me know how it was. Thanks
Helene
This is one of my favorite chicken dishes, I tend to serve it with aromatic clove rice. That's when it turns into an addiction. Lemon, garlic and chicken are best friends. 🙂
Veena Azmanov
I know what you mean Helene I love the combination of Lemon, garlic and Chicken - I hope you try it.
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
Love the idea of putting all the ingredients together and roasting to get the maximum amount of flavor. Your kids must know a good thing when they taste it. Lemon and garlic are naturals together. A perfect team in every sense of the word. And using paprika on the chicken gives it that nice color!! Great recipe.
Veena Azmanov
There is no comfort like cooking all in one especially on busy days Marisa. On busy cake days this is a blessing and the kids love it.