Lemon Pepper Hen Marinade

I’ve been making this lemon pepper rooster marinade for over 15 years, and it’s a type of recipes I by no means get bored with. It’s the one I attain for once I want a straightforward dinner, wish to toss stuff on the grill, or want a batch of rooster for any form of meal prep. The components are easy, however collectively they make rooster that’s juicy, flavorful, and something however boring. At any time when I’m undecided what to make for dinner, that is normally the place I begin.

Why My Recipe

• My go-to marinade for the previous 15 years.
• Only a few minutes of prep offers you juicy, flavorful rooster that’s prepared for weeknights, meal prep, or cookouts.
• Works with breasts or thighs and contains oven, grill, and stovetop cooking choices.

Contemporary lemon juice does all of the heavy lifting right here, whereas lemon pepper and a few dried herbs preserve the flavour vibrant with out overpowering the rooster. It really works simply as effectively with rooster breasts because it does thighs so go along with whichever one your loved ones likes greatest. I do suggest choosing boneless skinless both method. I’ve included baking, grilling, and stovetop directions so you possibly can prepare dinner it nevertheless makes probably the most sense to your day or the time of 12 months.

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed offers the most effective taste, however bottled lemon juice works if that’s what you may have. You’ll want about 1 lemon for 1/4 cup of juice, however typically you’ll want 2.
• Olive Oil: Common olive oil or additional virgin olive oil each work.
• Lemon Pepper: Lemon pepper blends can range fairly a bit in salt content material so be careful for that.
• Dried Oregano and Basil: Stick to dried herbs for this one to maintain issues easy.
• Salt: I’m simply utilizing desk salt right here.
• Crimson Pepper Flakes: Utterly non-obligatory, however they provides a gentle kick with out making the rooster overly spicy.
• Boneless Skinless Hen Breasts or Thighs: Each work nice. Hen thighs are naturally extra forgiving and keep juicy even when they prepare dinner a little bit longer.

Hen Breasts vs. Thighs

This marinade works effectively with boneless skinless rooster breasts and thighs, so it actually comes down to private desire.

Hen breasts are leaner and prepare dinner a little bit quicker, whereas rooster thighs have a little bit extra fats, making them additional juicy and forgiving in the event that they keep on the warmth a number of additional minutes. I take advantage of each usually, relying on what’s on sale or what I have already got within the fridge.

Cooking Technique Choices

One among my favourite issues about this marinade is that it really works regardless of the way you’re cooking dinner. Grill it in the course of the summer time, bake it within the oven for a straightforward weeknight meal, or prepare dinner it in a skillet once you don’t really feel like turning the oven on. I’ve included directions for all three strategies, so you should utilize whichever works greatest to your schedule and the climate.

Serving Solutions

This rooster goes with nearly all the things (which is why I like it a lot).

Add a Starch: Serve it with rice (my easy cheesy rice pilaf is a fav), roasted potatoes (like my garlic and herb smashed potatoes), or buttered noodles (or my olive oil pasta) for a straightforward dinner.

Add a Veggie: like my cheesy skillet broccoli, roasted asparagus, or preserve it tremendous easy through the use of my frozen veggie hacks.

Different Choices: It’s additionally nice sliced over Caesar salad, tucked into wraps, or served in grain bowls for meal prep lunches.