Make tender, juicy sheet pan lemon chicken with herbs for bright, fresh flavor. Add potatoes and broccoli, and you have an amazing dinner ready in under an hour!
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome in a real food house is time. There never seems to be enough! I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make dinner faster, like including quick meals like 15 Minute Marinara Sauce, and hands-free meals like Cashew Chicken, on the meal plan.
But what if you want something that’s a bit more “home-style?” You know, like the meals your grandma made when all the aunts, uncles, and cousins came over for dinner. Something that feels fancy, like you’ve been cooking for hours, but without having to be in the kitchen all day.
That’s where sheet pan lemon chicken with herbs comes into play. I already shared how to spatchcock a chicken, which is my go-to solution for getting a “traditional” dinner on the table in under an hour.
That basic recipe is delicious in its own right, but when I saw my friend Kelly share her butterfly chicken tutorial that had LEMON SLICES TUCKED UNDER THE SKIN, I knew she was on to something good.
And I was right! Herbed lemon chicken is AMAZING! And super fast too, which is why we’re eating it just about every week nowadays.
HERBS FOR LEMON CHICKEN
With so many opportunities to make sheet pan lemon chicken, I’ve experimented with lots of different herbs. The first time it was with rosemary because I had extras from making Rosemary Sea Salt Flatbread (which you must make ASAP if you haven’t already).
In fact, it would be wise to put both this lemon chicken recipe AND the flatbread recipe on the same weekly meal plan so you can buy just one fresh herb, not waste any of it, and save money at the same time.
But… if you don’t have flatbread on your meal plan, or even have fresh rosemary available, you can make this with just about any fresh herb. One week, I tried Poultry Seasoning, a mixture that includes rosemary, sage, and thyme, and it was SO GOOD on the chicken.
Another week, tarragon was marked down, so I gave that a try too. Even though fresh tarragon smells like black licorice (which I despise), it was REALLY good with the lemon!
To be honest, I don’t think it’s possible to choose the wrong herb for this sheet pan lemon chicken recipe. My only caveat is that the herbs have to be fresh, not dried, for the most vibrant flavor.
Check the store for clearance, snip from the garden, or go raid the neighbors’ rogue rosemary bush – do what you must. Fresh herbs all the way, folks. (You can always freeze extra fresh herbs so none goes to waste.)
LEMON CHICKEN RECIPE INGREDIENTS
- Whole Chicken. Rinse and pat dry, then follow the instructions to spatchcock the chicken for faster cooking.
- Lemons. We’re not just using fresh lemon juice, we need the whole lemon! Sliced into thin rounds, these will add amazing fresh flavor when tucked under the chicken skin!
- Fresh Herbs. I used sprigs of rosemary, but use whatever herbs you have available.
- Salt and Black Pepper. Simple seasonings are all you need to add to the fresh herbs.
- Fresh Vegetables (optional). Make it a sheet pan dinner and cook the veggies at the same time!
WHOLE CHICKEN FOR CHICKEN & LEMON DISH
For chicken & lemon recipes, I typically buy my whole chickens from Costco. They have great prices on organic chicken. This is one reason I find a Costco membership worth it.
I’ve also seen great prices on whole chicken at ALDI. (Sometimes ALDI is cheaper than Costco.)
Butcher Box is my new favorite for high-quality beef and pork. I’ve also tried their whole chicken, and it’s very good! If you can’t find high-quality chicken locally, Butcher Box might be the way to go. You can read my full review of Butcher Box HERE, and how to make Butcher Box worth the cost here.
If you don’t have a whole chicken on hand, you can follow this recipe for boneless skinless chicken breasts or this recipe for chicken thighs.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON CHICKEN ON A SHEET PAN
Including lemon with chicken really is an incredibly simple meal to make, but there is just a TEENSY-WEENSY bit of skill required. Don’t worry, do it once and you’re an old pro (like riding a bike!)
Step 1. Follow this tutorial to spatchcock a chicken (that’s fancy for “cut out the backbone”).
Step 2. Very gently lift the skin from the chicken.
Most birds already have a bit of skin lifted either at the end of the breast, near the thigh, or both. Find those spots and very carefully slide your fingers inside to separate the skin from the meat. You’ll want to reach in as far as you can, without tearing the skin and keeping the skin-on.
Step 3. To get the most for your money, aim to get at least 8 slices from each lemon.
I cut the lemon so each slice is about ⅜” thick or so, but you don’t have to use a ruler. Just make thin slices and try to get 8.
Step 4. Slide the citrus as far as you can under the skin.
The goal is to have each piece of chicken covered with at least one slice of citrus. I’m able to get 2 slices of lemon for each breast and each thigh, sometimes 3. Don’t be squeamish and just slide one slice of lemon on chicken. You’ll miss out on lots of flavor.
Step 5. Be careful when adding the herbs.
Some herbs have reedy stems, so you want to be careful when you slide those under the skin, too, so you don’t poke through. I’ve inserted the herbs backward (the top of the herb first), and I’ve folded them too, so that the part that goes in first isn’t pointy.
The chicken takes 50 minutes in the oven. Check for an internal temperature of 165F when inserting an instant read thermometer into dark meat near the bone and a golden brown top. If you can work without distraction, you can have dinner on the table in under an hour flat.
Psst! Want to kick this up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)
Step 6. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes for the juices to settle before carving. Discard the citrus slices and herb stems before serving.
LEMON WITH CHICKEN AND VEGGIES
The key to making recipes with lemon chicken a well-rounded meal is the veggies.
As you can see, I made potatoes and broccoli with the chicken on this night. I tossed the potatoes in olive oil, added them to the pan at the same time I put the chicken on, salted everything, and set the timer for 30 minutes. When it beeped, I moved the potatoes to one side and added fresh broccoli.
I set the timer again for 20 minutes, and dinner was done. If you don’t want potatoes and broccoli, you can follow the same method with just about any vegetable. In fact, I think it’s brilliant to add as many veggies as you can to the pan without crowding the chicken.
Why dirty more dishes than you have to?! To roast vegetables with the lemon chicken, just think about how long the vegetables would take to cook in the oven by themselves, subtract that from 50 minutes, and then add them to the sheet pan accordingly.
SERVE WITH LEMON ON CHICKEN DINNER
Besides the veggies above, lemon herb chicken is also yummy with a side of homemade bread or biscuits. Try these:
If you don’t feel like cooking your veggies with the herb and lemon chicken, these sides are also quick and easy:
This would also taste great with a side of rice or served over angel hair pasta!
MACRO FRIENDLY CHICKEN DINNER
As written, this sheet pan lemon chicken recipe has everything you need for a balanced meal.
Get your protein from the chicken. Choose the cuts from the breast of the chicken for lean protein, or enjoy darker meat from the thighs and drumsticks for a mixture of protein and fat.
Roasted potatoes contain healthy carbohydrates. Keeping the skin on gives you fiber as well.
Tossing the broccoli and potatoes in olive oil before cooking means you’re adding fat in moderation.
Hit your macro goals with this easy sheet pan meal!
RECIPE – LEMON CHICKEN FAQS
Can you make just a lemon chicken breast recipe?
Yes! Follow the method in my Sheet Pan Chicken Breast recipe with citrus slices on top for the same lemon chicken flavor, using just chicken breasts.
Is there a lot of liquid in the pan when cooking lemon and herb chicken?
I haven’t found that to be the case – what you see in the pictures is how it came out of the oven! If your chicken is partially frozen when you start cooking, it may release more juices onto the pan. It will also take longer to cook, so I recommend starting with a fully thawed whole chicken.
Can you make lemon garlic chicken? What about Greek lemon chicken?
Like I said above, you can change up the taste by adding pretty much whatever herbs you want to this lemon chicken recipe. Fresh minced garlic cloves would work, and Greek Seasoning with garlic, oregano, and basil would be a yummy addition!
MORE DELICIOUS SHEET PAN RECIPES
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Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken and Herbs
Make tender, juicy sheet pan lemon chicken with herbs for bright, fresh flavor. Add potatoes and broccoli, and you have an amazing dinner ready in under an hour!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Follow this tutorial to spatchcock a chicken. Place the bird skin-side down and liberally salt. Turn the bird skin-side up and place on the sheet pan.
- Gently lift the skin from the meat of the bird by sliding your fingers into the pockets at the end of the chicken breasts, thighs or both. Try to lift as much skin away from the meat as you can, without tearing it.
- Gently slide lemon slices under the skin, and as far back as you can into the bird. I aim to have at least two slices of lemon for each thigh and each breast.
- Carefully slide the fresh herbs under the skin as well, folding them in half to avoid tough stems if necessary. I aim to have at least two sprigs of herb for each thigh and breast.
- Season the bird with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 50 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 165F when inserted into dark meat near the bone. Note: If you’re using fresh vegetables, add to the pan so that they finish the same time the chicken is done.
- Remove the bird (and optional vegetables) from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes for the juices to settle before carving.
Notes
As written, this sheet pan lemon chicken recipe has everything you need for a balanced meal.
Get your protein from the chicken. Choose the cuts from the breast of the chicken for lean protein, or enjoy darker meat from the thighs and drumsticks for a mixture of protein and fat.
Roasted potatoes contain healthy carbohydrates. Keeping the skin on gives you fiber as well.
Tossing the broccoli and potatoes in olive oil before cooking means you’re adding fat in moderation.
Hit your macro goals with this easy sheet pan meal!
