Lemon Pepper Hen Marinade

I’ve been making this lemon pepper hen 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 simple dinner, need to toss stuff on the grill, or want a batch of hen for any form of meal prep. The elements are easy, however collectively they make hen that’s juicy, flavorful, and something however boring. Every time I’m undecided what to make for dinner, that is often the place I begin.

Recent lemon juice does all of the heavy lifting right here, whereas lemon pepper and a few dried herbs hold the flavour vivid with out overpowering the hen. It really works simply as nicely with hen breasts because it does thighs so go along with whichever one your loved ones likes finest. I do suggest choosing boneless skinless both manner. I’ve included baking, grilling, and stovetop directions so you’ll be able to prepare dinner it nonetheless makes probably the most sense to your day or the time of yr.

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed provides the most effective taste, however bottled lemon juice works if that’s what you’ve gotten. 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: Persist with dried herbs for this one to maintain issues easy.
• Salt: I’m simply utilizing desk salt right here.
• Crimson Pepper Flakes: Utterly optionally available, however they provides a gentle kick with out making the hen 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 bit of longer.

Hen Breasts vs. Thighs

This marinade works nicely with boneless skinless hen breasts and thighs, so it actually comes down to private choice.

Hen breasts are leaner and prepare dinner a bit of sooner, whereas hen thighs have a bit of extra fats, making them additional juicy and forgiving in the event that they keep on the warmth just a few additional minutes. I exploit each often, 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 irrespective of the way you’re cooking dinner. Grill it in the course of the summer season, bake it within the oven for a simple weeknight meal, or prepare dinner it in a skillet whenever you don’t really feel like turning the oven on. I’ve included directions for all three strategies, so you need to use whichever works finest to your schedule and the climate.

Serving Options

This hen goes with nearly every part (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 simple dinner.

Add a Veggie: like my cheesy skillet broccoli, roasted asparagus, or hold it tremendous easy by utilizing 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.