Easy Lemon Garlic Parmesan Chicken Recipe
This is an iconic dish that you cannot help but create because, once again, super easy to throw together and the flavors and taste are ALL THERE! The secret is to reserve a portion of the marinade on the side prior to adding the chicken to it (obviously). Then use that reserved marinade when serving the dish as a sauce. It makes all the difference and levels up the end product. And yes, this can work with any type of meat or fish!
Some great sides with this chicken dish are my Maroulosalata, Traditional Greek Salad, my Greek Yogurt Cucumber Salad, or my Dakos Salata. I would also enjoy this with some additional side dishes like my Creamy Mushroom Rice, my Greek Sweet Peas and Potatoes or my Spanakorizo.
Thank you for swinging by Hungry Happens! If you create this dish or any other from our site, we would greatly appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate the recipe! LOVE YOUR LIFE!
Easy Lemon Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large lemon, juiced (2 tbs)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbs honey
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉ or your air fryer to 375℉.
- Rinse and pat dry your chicken pieces. Transfer to a ziploc bag.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, spices, salt and pepper to taste and grated parmesan. Whisk together. Transfer 3/4 of this mixture to the ziploc bag and close the bag. Swoosh the chicken around to coat in the mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. Take the remaining 1/4 marinade, store it in your fridge for serving (after the chicken is cooked). This reserved marinade is not to touch the raw chicken.
- Place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 17-20 minutes. Air fry for 12 minutes.
- Top the chicken with the remaining marinade to serve and dip.
This was AMAZING!! I had everything in the house for to make it. My family LOVED it, this will definitely be on repeat! Thanknyou for your amazing recipes!
This was so good. I always rinse the chicken and beef and fish, so I was raised. Me and both my teenagers loved this receipt and will cook this many times.
So happy I found your insta and this page for so many dishes that look so tasty.
Kind regards from Dalarna in Sweden.
Oh my goodness, was this dish ever tasty!! It was soooo incredibly simple to make and I had all the ingredients in my pantry. My family absolutely loved this chicken dish! Thank you!!
This was AMAZING!! I had everything in the house for to make it. My family LOVED it, this will definitely be on repeat! Thank you for your amazing recipes!
HI Christine, Thanks for trying out the dishes and you must be a wonderful chef!! Thanks also for the kind rating!
This looks amazing! I am confused about saving the marinade though. This goes against everything I have been taught. 😂 So it’s ok to use a marinade that had raw chicken in it as a sauce?
Hey Tyler, as it states in the recipe box, USE 3/4 OF THE MARINADE FOR THE MARINATING CHICKEN PART. RESERVE THE LEFTOVER 1/4 OF THE MARINADE IN YOUR FRIDGE TO USE LATER WHEN THE CHICKEN HAS BEEN COOKED AND ITS A NICE DRIZZLE.
Hope you try the recipe because you will LOVE it!!
I also missed this, only use 3/4 for marinade. Thanks!
Read the instructions! They are well explained yet ppl keep asking the same thing!!
You are very kind and patient. Seriously I’ve never read such ridiculous comments ever.
You need to relax 🙄
Don’t get yourself all worked up over a recipe website
Agreed. You don’t have to be rude!!!
Hi Tyler. You reserve 1/4 of the marinade BEFORE adding it to the chicken.
I personally would not do it.
She explains how you need to save a portion prior to add the chicken to marinade then that portion you saved is the one you use. A new and fresh sauce.
you don’t use all of sauce to put chicken in (recipe says save some, meaning from before marinating). But you are right that anything raw meat has been in gets tossed.
A easy and tasty dish and I loved it. I would however recommend you remove the rinse your chicken step as it is unecessary and tends to spread bacteria around the work area. While this step was beloved by Julia Child, modern food safety science conclusively shows it just makes things worse.
Hi Kim thanks so much for trying out the chicken recipe and I’m so glad you liked it!
I’ve always been raised to rinse my chicken and fish. Its a personal preference and I definitely recommend it from my own experience in the kitchen with seeing (at times) speckles of things on them. Just my experience and I urge you to do what you feel is best for yourself always!
Have a beautiful weekend!
Yes, I also have been raised to wash chicken, beef and seafood. I still do so now.
I agree.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but it looks delicious and I will make it soon. I also wash chicken before cooking. I’m 77 years old and have been doing it all my adult life, as my mother did before me, and we haven’t lost or made anybody sick yet, lol. I wouldn’t dream of eating chicken that hadn’t been washed clean……..I’ve seen too many photos of those packing plants! As always, each cook should do what they’re comfortable with, though.
I rinse mine too. I just disinfect sink afterwards. I’ve seen butcher process from beginning to end and want to make sure all bones and feathers are off. Old tmer way..lol
I wholeheartedly agree with you…….no need to rinse poultry……it just spreads bacteria all over kitchen surfaces. Why don’t people know about this???? Look it up people.
What are your thoughts on chicken breast. I’m the only one in family that likes thighs. Thanks.
Hi Frank, yes this pairs the same with chicken breasts!! Go for it!!
Hi! Would you do anything different if you were gonna grill the chicken instead? Plan on using chicken breast
Can you use chicken breast instead of thighs?
HI Lisa, absolutely yes!
Im always looking for a recipe for chicken thats not full of fat, and I love this. Im going to make it tonite, and have some salad with it. I’ll be using my air fryer for a 4th time.
Hope you enjoyed the dish!!
This was very flavorful and I only did the marinade for 30 min so I was quite pleased that it was such a success! Cooked mine in the air fryer and they were juicy and delicious! Such a great recipe for an easy weeknight meal!
Could you use bone-in thighs?
Absolutely – just needs more cook time!
We prefer chicken breasts, would they work in this recipe if cut in half to attain thigh size? Recipe sounds delicious! Thanks…
Hi Barb, yes that works great here!
thank you for the recipe
It was delicious I used bone in thighs, cooked it on 375 paired with sweet potatoes & snap peas
I made it at work & the lady I care for loved it
Hi Lisa, Glad you both enjoyed it so much! Thanks for the kind comment!!
Love the sweet potato wedges idea!
Hi! Can you grill this?
Hi Josh, yes!! Great idea!
I want to make this but have chicken breasts on hand. Will those be good to air fry? Looks delish!!!
Hi Stephanie, yes you can use this with air fried chicken breasts !
Can I use this recipe for chicken cutlets and change the cooking time ?
Hi Susan, I do that all the time! yes
Can I use this marinade on a whole chicken that I spatchcock?
HI Paula, absolutely yes! Great idea
Would you do anything different if you were gonna grill the chicken instead? Plan on using chicken breast
Hi Madison, same exact recipe for grilling on a BBQ.
How can I cook this without an air fryer?
HI Cindy, the instructions include oven settings of 400F for 17-20 minutes.
What cooking time for bone in thighs?
Hi Sharon, I would definitley do more cook time like, 45 minutes. Always use a meat thermometer though – needs to read 170F internal temperature
Will the taste change if I don’t use the red chili flakes my husband does not care for them Thank you Gwen
Hi Gwen, no change, will still be AMAZING without the chili flakes!
Super easy recipe. It was a spontaneous decision so I had a 30 min marinade and then made another batch of sauce to drizzle over the chicken when serving. Family loved it.
Hi Sandy, glad it was enjoyed by the family! Thanks for the kind rating too!
Should we warm the extra sauce for dipping? Or not necessary?
Hi Christine this looks good. I have just one question. Are you suggesting to bake it in the oven first for 20 minutes than place the chicken in air fry for an additional 12 minutes?
Hi Ronnie, definitely not! One instruction is if you have an oven. The other instruction is for an air fryer. So 20 minutes in an oven only. And 12 minutes if you’re using an air fryer.
My family loved this chicken! Would totally recommend this and make again. Thanks for posting! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hi Maria, glad it was a hit with everyone! Thanks for trying it!
Originally saw on TikTok, and I instantly knew I needed this recipe in my life. Marinated overnight, and it lived up to my expectations. SO DELICIOUS!!! Putting in the rotation!!!
Hi Theresa, happy you tried the recipe and enjoyed it!! Thanks for the kind review!
I have all the ingredients on hand except honey! Any thoughts on a substitute???
Hi Alyson, you can use maple syrup, agave or straight up brown sugar…
Thank you! I had some corn syrup on hand that I was going to use. But I decided to just wait and grab some honey and make it tonight.
This was so good and even my super picky teenage son loved it….not to mention my 12 year old too. Will definitely be making this again. I tripled the marinade and so glad I did as it was DELICIOUS
Hey Danielle, that was really smart of you! Its so good!
Made this on the weekend. So easy, so yum! I doubled all the marinate ingredients (except cheese) for a flavour hit. Great yiros filling and we had this in Bao buns with Mayo and pickled cucumbers and red onion. Yum!!!
Hi Cheree, that sounds SO GOOD with the bao buns! NICE!!! Thanks for the ideea!
Delicious
Hi Jo-Anne, glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for the rating too!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Do you think the marinade would work well on shrimp?
Hi Dana, yes, and I actually have a shrimp recipe almost identical to this one and it is BOMB. I’ll link it below:
https://hungryhappens.net/garlic-parmesan-shrimp/
This was delicious over buttered noodles! Will be making it again!!
Hi Jules, sounds SO GOOD!! And thanks for the kind rating!
I made this last week and it was delicious! I used chicken breast, but I’m going to try chicken thighs again tonight. Wondering about that nutrition information. I see it posted at the end but what is considered a serving size? Thanks!!
Hi Jana, It depends on the size of the pieces but about 1-2 pieces of chicken.
So glad you enjoyed them!!
I’m confused,do we cook the chicken after the marinade is drizzled on top? If not the leftover marinade will still have raw chicken secretions in it which isn’t safe to eat. Isn’t that cross contamination?
Hi LInda, absolutely no marinade that touched raw chicken should be used as topping !!!! It says in the instructions to marinade in 3/4 of the dressing and reserve the remaining 1/4 in the fridge as the topping.
This is amazing! I will make this chicken recipe every week. It was easy and tastes like you made a fuss.
Hi Michelle, I’m right there with you!! This is on the menu every week!!
Made this tonight for my family after seeing it on Tiktok and it turned out well other than I followed the directions to make the chicken in the oven, and it came out soupy. I ended up transferring the chicken to the airfryer to crispen up. If I did this again, I’d skip the oven and toss in the airfryer.
HI sara, sorry it didnt work out for you in the beginning but at least it ended well!
Made this last night. Chicken was moist and so flavorful!
Hi Nicole, thank you for trying this out and taking the time to leave a rating! Cheers!
Looks amazing! Could I do it on a stove top grill instead of oven?
Hi Julie, yes, you can definitely cook them on the grill!
Making this tonight! Thank you.
Can you clarify if the nutritional content is for all 2 lbs of thighs? So I’m order for me to get one serving I should divide the calories you have by four, since the whole recipe is 4 servings?
Hi Lorraine, The nutritional info is already dividing the cals by 4
Hi! Are you baking for 20 minutes AND air frying for 12 minutes?? Or just one or the other?? Thanks for clarification! Can’t wait to make this week.
Hi Tiffany, just one or the other. NOT BOTH. Enjoy!!
Excellent chicken recipe! my family loved it.
I would change the order in the recipe to make the marinade first, marinate the chicken and THEN turn the oven on!
So easy to make and very tasty
Hi Jane, I really agree! Thanks for trying it and the awesome rating!
Hi, I wonder which temperature should I put the chicken in the oven?
Hi Carolina, the instructions do include the oven temp at 400 F.
I’m salivating as I read this! Going to the store for honey right now! I can’t wait to eat this! Thanks for posting! All your recipes are 💣
Hi Alissa, I hope you enjoyed the chicken recipe! Thank you so much!
I don’t recommend grilling. The honey burned something awful. I’m
Going to try again in the oven.
Hi Julie, I’m so sorry the grilling didn’t work out!
Hello, is it safe to use the marinade as a topper at the end, since it’s been marinating in raw chicken? I’m making this tonight and I was just curious.
Thanks!
NO do not use any marinade that has touched raw chicken on cooked chicken
What you do is reserve 1/4 of the marinade to the side for the sauce BEFORE. Then take the remaining 3/4 marinade and use that to coat the raw chicken.
Give this woman an Award!
Hi Deni, you are too kind! Thanks for the sweet message!
What side dishes do you recommend to pair with this recipe?
Hi Elizabeth I recommend a rice or mashed potato and definitely a Maroulosalata or Traditional Greek Salad!
Sounds delicious, bit confused re cook time though, is it oven first then airfry for 12 minutes afterwards or is it meant to be either/or. Thanks
Hi Elaine, Only cook the dish in the air fryer or the oven – not both appliances. Thank you !
I made it and my family move it!!!! ❤️❤️❤️ thank you !!!
Hi Kathy, glad it was enjoyed by ALL! Thank you for the rating too!
A beautiful, easy and delicious recipe! A definite, redo many times over!
Hi Deborah, glad you liked the recipe! And thanks for the awesome review!
This was the best and so flavorful. I have made it 3 times already my family loves it
Thank you for sharing.
Hi Karen, thank you so much for trying the recipe – i’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Would you change any of the ingredients/directions for making this dish in a crockpot?
Thank you for this recipe and so many others. Perhaps you could suggest sides and include links to those recipes.
HI susan, that’s a great suggestion! Thank you! Will get on that!
Made this last night! Wow —-will be putting this in the rotation. Air fryer, and it was delicious!
HI Stacy, glad you liked the meal! Thanks for the kind rating and feedback!
Super easy and delicious. Looking forward to making it again, and again, and again!
Hi Abby, glad you enjoyed the chicken dish! Thanks for the rating!
Brilliant. Cooked it for the family. Quentin Aussie
Hi Quentin! So glad the dish was enjoyed! THanks for the kind rating!
I made this recipe and added one extra ingredient for the marinade (garlic parmesan marinade or dipping sauce. It was delicious. I’m enjoying your recipes. Tasty and super easy! Thank you @hungryhappens. 😊
Hi Degna, Glad you tried this dish and liked it! THanks so much for the kind rating!
Love Love Love your easy Greek recipes!
This lemon Parmesan is going to be a weekly thing!
Thank you for the inspiration ♥️🇬🇷
Thanks so much for trying out the recipes! Glad this chicken recipe was a hit! Cheers!
I’m never making chicken any other way again! Paired it with a light salad…amazing!
Hi Liana, I don’t blame you! this dish is so delicious and easy! Thank you for the kind feedback too!
So easy, so good! I barbecued the chicken, since it’s that time of year, and it was amazing! Looking forward to air frying it next time. Thanks for the instructions on cooking it different ways. I tossed the extra sauce with some pasta and served with asparagus but the options are endless!
Hi Nicole, Sounds amazing with pasta and asparagus LOVE!!!!
Can’t wait to try this today! If using chicken breasts, do you know how long to cook them for in the oven?
Hi Rachel, I would do 30-35 minutes. Definitely get your self a meat thermometer though – its a game changer! No more overcooking
So delish and easy to make! I made it last night and it was terrific. I paired it with roasted veggies. My husband said it was a total “do-over” for our future meal planning. He loved it (we BOTH did) and also commented on how juicy the chicken breasts were. Love your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing them. I know whatever I pick the meal will be great!
Deb
I just discovered your Instagram this week! I made this chicken dish last night and wowed my family. Simple and ohhhhh so so tasty. Tonight, I made the eggplant roll ups. I literally was just eating the bread crumb and cheese mixture out of bottom of the pan. I have promised my family I’ll be cooking 2 to 3 things from your website a week. Your videos are fabulous. It’s so simple and easy to follow. I thought I was a good cook before but now I’m really gonna Love My Life. Thank you!!
Hi Maria, WELCOME!!! And thanks for that beautiful message! Im so happy the recipes are resonating with your and your family! Glad you’re here!
I used thick chicken breast and instead of grated parmesan I used shredded parmesan. I baked for 25 minutes due to thick chicken and it didn’t come out juicy or even looked like yours. what did I do wrong?
Hi Terry, I’m so sorry it didnt work for you. Maybe the chicken was overcooked.. i’m not sure
easy to make and the sauce topped it off!
Hi Michelle, thanks so much for the review!
Hi
Would love to try this ..
Was wondering if I could use the bottle lemon juice from the fridge ?.
Thank you
Hi Leslie, if the flavor is the same as real lemons then yes. I have never used the bottle lemon juice in a long time so I cant say for sure!
Quick question: is it fresh grated parm cheese or the dry stuff?
Hi Lisa, its the dry stuff I used in this recipe. enjoy!
What could I use instead of honey?
Hi Sherri, maple syrup works too
Can sub red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar for the lemon? And same amount.
Hi Deb, yes absoutely you can use any kind of vinegar in lieu of the lemon!
I made it and it came out delicious! So flavorful and delicious!
HI Patrice, glad you enjoyed the chciken dish ! Thank you for the rating!
Can you make in crock pot ? Looks delicious 😋
Hi Lori, i dont see why not!
Can’t wait to try this!! If using chicken breasts, do you know how long to cook them for in the oven?
Hi Rachel, it depends on the thickness of the meat pieces you have.
Made this on the grill last night using chicken tenders. Absolutely delicious! Served with a Greek salad. Great light meal.
Hi Debi, I’m all about this chicken dish with greek salad! Well done!
Made this for the first time and my hubby and I loved it! I wonder can the marinated chicken (uncooked)be stored in the freezer. Thank You 🙏🏻
Hi – yes, you can definitely freeze this uncooked! Glad you both enjoyed it though1!!
Doesn’t the honey prevent it from being Keto? Has anyone omitted it and if so, how did it impact the flavor?
Hi sallie, you can definitely omit the honey, will still be good. Or use some kind of Keto syrup
The whole dish was delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Mindi, glad it was enjoyed!
WOW! I ate almost the whole tray. My husband loved it. He said that’s probably the best chicken I have ever eaten. It is so tasty and it isn’t dry. The cold marinade on top of the chicken it is great! Thank you for sharing this recipe!! I’ll cook this again.
HI Carolina, I heard that!!! Glad you guys loved the dish so much! Thank you for the sweet message!
This was excellent. I didn’t have any chili flakes on hand so I used some of my Houston Dry Rub instead and Old Bay for the salt. It was a hit
HI Elizabeth, glad you liked the chicken! I thank you for sharing the feedback with us!
can you use chicken breast Instead of thighs
Hi albert, yes you can ! Just adjust cook time for the thickness of the meat!
Do you think cooking this on a cast iron would work out?
Delicious and always try this recipe thank you
Thank you very much i am gone try it.love lemon .
💙 Really good and easy to make!
This was the first recipe I tried on this site. Couldn’t believe how easy this was and my kids loved it. Will be trying some of the other recipes on this site.
Do you think it will still be flavorful if I don’t use the cheese. Can’t do dairy.
Delicious! Making it again tonight!
Followed recipe perfectly. It was undercooked after 20 min & needed another 12 min. It was juicy but had little flavor.
I made it work by using a homemade glaze with honey, soy sauce, & sesame seeds.
I made this last week. I hurried and messed up by putting all in bag. Then poured the extra mix over chicken.
I used new Instant Pot air frier duo. (my 1st attempt at using my the air frier with raw from scratch attempt). I don’t remember how or long, but think 325 for 20 min, maybe longer.
It came out great!!
Loved it!!
Easy and great flavor!
We loved this chicken recipe! The chicken breasts were so moist and delicious! Do you think it would work with pork chops as well?
Made this recipe for my guests. Very very good. Definitely a keeper. thanks
A nice change of flavors for chicken. Everyone enjoyed it but just a little sweet. Will definitely make again and will try balsamic vinegar in place of the honey.
Oh my goodness! This recipe is soooo delicious! My family loves it at the first bite! It’s so easy to make and incredibly yummy!
I don’t have chili flake and making this tonight any suggestions
I am not a great cook and followed this recipe and it came out amazing! Delicious!
Great Recipe!!! Will definitely make again. Served with White Rice and a Cesar Salad. Baked at 400 in pampered chef deep dish baker for 36 minutes. This was amazing. Even the kids came back for seconds.
Easy, tasty, everybody loves it!
Hi Sonia, glad its a recipe winner!!
Sooooooo delicious and easy! Totally made the rotation. Can’t wait to make it again. This marinade is a winner!
Very tasty. It took a lot longer to cook.At 18 mins at 400 it was still raw.
Yummy
My goodness……this was SO AMAZING. My youngest son, my daughter in law and 2 grandchildren are coming from London in August, and I will definitely make this for them. It’s already my favorite dish 😋😋. Thank you so much for sharing this and all your others wonderful recipes.
By the way I’m from Denmark and I really enjoy all your recipes so much….thank you.
hello tq for sharing this recipe! what do I do if I want to omit air frying the chicken please? tq 🙂
HI Michelle, just bake the chicken!
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this recipe !! Reserving some of the marinade as a sauce at the end is amazing. The flavor is so lemony and the parmesan cheese…This will be a new regular in my rotation ! Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙏 😊
Can I make this chicken on the stovetop? no oven available while camping and I’d love to make this. thank you!
Hi Elise, yes definitely! Enjoy the camping trip!!
Love this recipe. Used it many times. Have not had one recipe we did not love! Keep them coming.
I made it for dinner tonight. In the air fryer. Great flavor that was subtle, but I had to go back for seconds. This is in rotation now.
Delicious as all your recipes
LOVE THIS RECIPE! Have already made it a few times! I add some lemon zest to the marinade as well just because I looove lemon
This is delicious. I’ve made it two times so far and it’s on the menu again tonight. So much flavor in this.
The first time I made it in the oven. The second time I grilled it. I prefer the oven because grilling causes a lot of the marinade to go away and I want every bit of it to stay on the chicken.
I baked it in the oven with the 1/4 leftover marinade piled on top as it was baking. So good. The combination of the lemon and Parmesan is what does it for me. Thanks!
Delicious!
Do I have to use a baking sheet?
Fabulous easy recipe, chicken really tender, everyone loved it. Thanks!
So yummy….😍
My whole family ate this and enjoyed it! Huge win!! This will definitely be made again and again in our house. Very flavorful ❤️
Making this tomorrow night. Which way is better? Oven or air fryer? I can do both!
Turned out great! Will def be making again!
Πωωω σταματά να φτιάξεις αυτά τα αλβανικά φαγητά
i did just half of garlic, it was sooo good. i loved it
HI Jona, thanks for trying them out!
Love all her recipes, make the Marjorie’s of them….just easy, heath and delicious!!!! And LOVE YOUR LIFE 🥰
HI Silvana, thanks so much for trying out the dishes! I’m glad they resonate with you!
Very good and easy to make! I could not stop eating it haha.
Hi Marly, I feel you! I have the same problem lol
Very good it’s a keeper
Hi Herta, glad you liked it!
Stella! What are you doing to me! Made this today and my husband was dipping before I said so. Another of your recipes made and another, “honey, this was great”. You make a Greek boy happy…and his wife too. 👏👏👏 Thank you.
Amazing! And this marinade! I think I’ll use it the dress my salads as well! Thank you so much for sharing your genius!!
It was amazing! Thank for sharing
Delicious and easy!