Lemon Thyme Chicken Breast – baked in the oven

I’ve tried a lot of recipes for a baked chicken breast and this is so far my favorite one. The key to juicy and tender meat is a good marinade and baking temperature. Marinating meat overnight also works wonders but even 30 mins will do! This is definitely my favorite marinade for a chicken breast, it‘s aromatic and very lemony. You need to try it! 🙂

This chicken would go perfect with a risotto, try it for example with my pear and thyme risotto, or lemony asparagus and green peas risotto.

Check out my other recipe for an oven-roasted chicken breast: balsamic chicken with figs!

How to make it step by step:

Ingredients: You will need 2 small chicken breasts (about 11-14 oz / 300-400g), 2 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, zest grated from 1/2 lemon, 1 large pressed garlic clove, and 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves. Chicken – it’s best to get small chicken breasts because they bake more evenly. Instead of fresh thyme, you can use 1 tsp of dried thyme.

You can whisk all the marinade ingredients directly in a small baking dish.

Pound the chicken breasts slightly in their thickest part – they will bake more evenly, but don’t pound them too thin – they should still resemble breasts and not fillets.

Season the meat with salt and pepper, then place in the baking dish and cover with the marinade. Leave to marinate for up to 1 day (in the fridge), overnight, or just for 15 minutes. Longer marinated meat will be more tender and flavorful, but even 15-30 minutes make wonders on the meat.

Bake in an oven preheated to 175 ° C / 345 °F / Gas Mark 3/4 and bake for 22 minutes.

Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, then you can cut it into bite-sized pieces. Resting time ensures that all the juices will be distributed evenly through the meat and it will be so juicy. Drizzle with the sauce from the baking dish – it is so yummy!!

Baking time will vary depending on the meat size. 22 minutes will be perfect for 2 small chicken breasts that weigh 11-12 oz / 300-350g. Larger chicken breasts need to be baked longer.

Baking temperature: 175 ° C / 345 °F is my favorite temperature to bake chicken breasts. It’s easier to control the moment when the meat is ready in comparison to baking at high temperature. It comes out perfect every time.

How to check if the chicken is ready: The easiest way to check if the meat is ready, is to measure its internal temperature, it should be 75 °C / 165 °F. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.

This recipe is perfect to make ahead or prepare for a crowd – you can easily double or triple the recipe and bake in a bigger pan.

Cooking method – baking vs pan-frying:

You can also pan-fry this chicken but I really don’t like to do that. When the marinade comes in contact with the hot oil on the pan it splashes all over the kitchen. Baking the chicken is easier, hand-free and cleaner.

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!