Whenever I am looking for a delicious dish, I always turn to Ina. Seriously, every single dish that I have tried of hers is always pretty amazing. I am so confident in the deliciousness of her food that I have actually made Ina recipes that I have never even tried before and served them to company. Isn’t that the number one rule for entertaining: NEVER serve something that you have not made before? I mean, if that isn’t the truest test of faith! I do have to admit that this behavior even makes the most faithful nervous but Ina has never led me astray.
And the best thing about Ina (besides her fabulous farmhouse kitchen) is that most of her recipes are totally easy and totally approachable. What’s not to love about that? This chicken dish has become a staple in our house. These days, I have been all about the quick, easy, and fuss free recipes. I want healthy, home cooked food but have a hard time getting dinner on the table at a reasonable hour after getting home from a full day of work and “chasing” Grace while she pushes her grocery cart squealing around the house (the game never gets old for this child).
And lately when I am not chasing G around, she insists that I hold her while cooking. Have you ever tried cooking with one hand and a toddler on your hip? It’s not easy. I’ve got the stirring part down but the chopping is another story. And probably dangerous for both of us. So having recipes like this chicken is particularly key. I can throw everything together while Grace is eating her dinner. Everything is in the oven before she gets bored with her own chicken and starts throwing it on Henry the dog!
I hope you love this as much as our family does!
Notes: Ina calls for boneless, skin-on chicken breast. I like chicken on the bone but it can make things tight in the pan. Either will work great so use what you prefer. I also sometimes skip the garlic cooking step for time purposes. This actually wasn’t on purpose but when I forgot to saute the garlic one time, it turned out perfectly fine! And it saves you from washing another dish. I kept the recipe as Ina intended but just know that you can easily throw the garlic in without the extra step.
Weeknight Roasted Lemon Chicken Breast
Adapted from Ina Garten
{Serves 2-4}
2-4 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
Juice of 2 lemons
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 lemon, cut into 8 slices or wedges
Preheat oven to 400º.
In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook until garlic is fragrant. Do not let garlic brown. Immediately remove from heat. Whisk lemon zest, juice, wine, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt into garlic olive oil. Pour into a 9×12 baking dish, if baking 3-4 breasts or an 8×8 for two breasts.
Pat the chicken breasts dry and put them skin side up in the baking dish. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Tuck the cut lemon slices in between the chicken breasts.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions:
Lemon Spaghetti
Roasted Asparagus
Lemon quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes
