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Who needs rotisserie chicken with these amazing, super simple Roasted Chicken Breasts with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary?
I love to serve these Roasted Chicken Breasts with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary for dinner but they're also wonderful to have stashed in the fridge for sandwiches, salads, pizzas, wraps, etc.
A couple times a month one of my local grocers has bone-in chicken breasts on sale for 99¢ a pound. I always stock up and throw a bunch in the freezer for all kinds of chicken dishes, this being one of our favorites. Although I love the lean boneless chicken breasts, these bone-in/skin-on breasts are much better for roasting; they result in moist succulent white meat every time, as long as you don’t overcook them.
This week I’ll also be sharing the wonderful Two Potato Swirls with Goat Cheese and Sweet Garlic that I paired with the chicken along with a dessert that you definitely won’t want to miss - Peanut Butter Tart with Shortbread Crust & Chocolate Ganache Glaze.
Peanut Butter Tart w/ Shortbread Crust & Chocolate Ganache Glaze
So saddle up and get prepared for a fun, delicious ride this week; a dinner that's simple enough for every day, yet delightful for entertaining since much of it can be prepped in advance with just a little last minute roasting.
Added bonus? - The roasting fills your home with irresistible aromas. Don't be surprised, when you've got these Roasted Chicken Breasts with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary in the oven, if the neighbors "just happen" to knock at your door!
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- 4 bone-in chicken breast halves 2 whole breasts
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
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Early in the day (at least 4 hours in advance) mix the rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil together in a small bowl. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry. Press the rosemary mixture into the flesh of the chicken on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-8 hours
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When ready to bake chicken, preheat the oven to 450˚F and put a rack in the middle position. I like to line my sheet pan with foil to make clean-up easy.
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Place the chicken breasts on a shallow roasting pan skin side down. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the breasts skin side up. Continue roasting until the breasts reach 160˚F* in the thickest part, another 15-30 minutes. If breasts vary greatly in size you may need to remove the smaller ones 5 minutes before the larger ones. Cover chicken with foil and allow to rest, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes before serving.
*I highly recommend using an instant read thermometer - they're very reasonable and will make a big difference in the quality of all your cooked meat. Overcooked meat, poultry, even seafood, is dry and tough and the difference can be just a few degrees. Meat, when cooked to the proper temperature, will be moist and tender. Meat, poultry and seafood is very expensive and it is well worth the small cost to ensure the perfect temperature!
I love to throw some extra lemons, quartered, onto the pan along with the chicken during the last 15 minutes of roasting. Slightly caramelized, they make for a lovely presentation on a platter with the chicken and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary.
Glinda says
I love chicken with rosemary and lemon so I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. As you know, the size of chicken breasts varies greatly depending on the brand or whether it’s organic chicken, etc. Do you have a approximate weight for each chicken breast used in this recipe? Thanks so much!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Glinda, I have used different size chicken breasts for this recipe. The best way to determine doneness is with an instant thermometer which should read 160-165˚F or 71-74˚C.
Cindy Boyd says
Delicious recipe! We all loved it. So juicy. .thank you for sharing.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad, Cindy!
Lauren says
This chicken was absolutely delicious! I feel like roasted chicken can often be a disappointment because the flavor doesn't tend to make it past the skin, but that was not the case here due to marinating it in advance. We actually had this for Christmas dinner and it was so easy, I loved being able to prep it in advance and then just pop it in the oven when we were ready. Thanks for sharing this!
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Lauren! So happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing your results!
Amy Hopkins says
Chicken should never be rinsed or washed.....
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your opinion. Everyone has different cooking techniques. I like to rinse my chicken and pat it dry before proceeding with a recipe. I'm not always certain how it's been handled before it reaches me.
Patti says
My chicken skin stuck to the foil when I went to turn it over 🥲
Lola says
I'm from the south and we throughly clean our raw chicken with vinegar and water then pat dry as well. Meat processing is a very dirty business and you'd be shocked that your meat was on the ground or laying in other unmentionable animal secretions before it hit your plate. Cleaning meat is a healthy habit
Stephanie says
Can you make this with boneless chicken breast? Looks amazing!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Stephanie, it is a wonderful recipe. I wouldn't try this exact recipe with boneless chicken as it would dry out too much. We don't eat the skin either but the skin and bones do keep it nice as moist as it bakes. Here is a recipe for baked chicken breasts. You will notice that the time and technique is quite different. https://thecafesucrefarine.com/juicy-tender-baked-boneless-chicken-breasts/
You could also make grilled boneless chicken breasts with the same flavor profile:https://thecafesucrefarine.com/lemon-rosemary-grilled-chicken-breasts/
Linda says
I made this and failed to realize I needed to put the rosemary mixture on 4 to 8 hours in advance. Soooooo it went on and then in the oven. It was still fabulous and I also had no lemon zest just the juice was used. Highly recommend this and it's something for any night or a special occasion. Yes it's that good!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results Linda, that's so good to know that, even on the spur of the moment, this recipe turns out well.
Kelsey Garner says
I'm making this for a dinner party tomorrow evening! I know it's going to be delicious 🙂
E.Dickson says
Your second directional point says "minutes before dinner" How many minutes before dinner..... 40? There is no time amount there.... you want to eat dinner right away don't you? So you have to start early....
Secondly it sounds great.... and if you wanted to make it a citrus night.... add the lemon roast potatoes, and lemon rice soup!
Chris Scheuer says
Sorry, corrected!
Ornit Golan says
Excellent recipe! So tender and flavorful. Definitely one of our favorite ways to eat bone-in chicken breast.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Ornit! So happy you enjoyed it!
Madonna says
Rosemary was created for chicken and a squeeze of lemon just takes it all over the top. Delish.
jacob nkwana says
wow that's looks amazing I like the combination
Holy says
Delicious combination! The only thing about this recipe is that calls for a lot of salt in the marinade. I cut the salt in half, and still found it a little salty for my taste. Adjust accordingly.
Kate says
Oh my goodness! That is a meal fit for a king! Everything is perfect.
Ryan says
I tried to use ''calamansi' instead of lemon and its still perfect! Great recipe! 😀
Kate says
This sounds heavenly....I love lemon and rosemary....they must have so much flavor. Looks like I will have to give this one a try. Thanks!
Ally says
Just fabulous, Chris...love the flavors and everything about this recipe! Easy, too!
Swasthi Blank says
Hi there, sad to say that your content has been stolen. take a look at this link
http://foodready.blogspot.in/2013/03/roasted-chicken-breasts-w-lemon-garlic.html
The Café Sucré Farine says
Thanks Swasthi, it seems that this has been a problem with other bloggers too, i will check into it!