Easy Lemon Garlic Parmesan Chicken Recipe
This is an iconic chicken recipe 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 lemon garlic parmesan 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! If you love this recipe you will love my Lemon Pepper Chicken Skewers or Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes.
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.
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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.
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for more?
How can I cook this without an air fryer?
HI Cindy, the instructions include oven settings of 400F for 17-20 minutes.
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.
Can I use this marinade on a whole chicken that I spatchcock?
HI Paula, absolutely yes! Great idea
Can I use this recipe for chicken cutlets and change the cooking time ?
Hi Susan, I do that all the time! yes
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 !
Hi! Can you grill this?
Hi Josh, yes!! Great idea!
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!
How long did you cook the bone in chicken thighs? I’m doing the air fried method at 375, but I wasn’t sure how many minutes.
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!
I made this recipe this evening using chicken breasts that I cut into three segments before marinating the chicken. I air fried the chicken until the internal temperature of each piece reached at least 165 degrees by measuring with my meat thermometer. The chicken was so moist and tasty! I will be making this recipe often. Thank you!
Could you use bone-in thighs?
Absolutely – just needs more cook time!
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!
Can you use chicken breast instead of thighs?
HI Lisa, absolutely yes!
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!!
For chicken breasts, do you suggest reducing the time to cook? Would you pound them or leave them as is and cook the same as thighs?
Hi Debra cook time depends on the thickness of the meat. If your meat is thick I would up the time and use a meat thermometer!
Hi! Would you do anything different if you were gonna grill the chicken instead? Plan on using chicken breast
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.
Love iitttttt. I am making it now for the 4th time. I also shared it with my family and friends. Lemon, garlic and honey are my favourite flavours. Love love love
What can you use instead of honey, due to allergies of some family members I can’t always use it.
maple syrup or sugar
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.
You are absolutely right. (I worked for 16 yrs in our state department of health). I can imagine it might make sense to wash poultry if you are concerned about traces of bones or feathers left from processing plant. Otherwise, washing unnecessarily spreads bacteria in kitchen. I was also “raised to rinse” 60 years ago—but food science has advanced a bit since then.
Just because u don’t think it’s necessary to rinse or clean ur chicken doesn’t make it right. If you don’t know how to properly wash without spreading bacteria that’s your problem.
All you all cringing over not washing chicken. I’m 47 and never washed my chicken and never been sick from not washing it. My Mother never washed hers neither. If you wanna wash yours go ahead but doesn’t mean I’m gonna get sick from not washing mine.
My grandmother lived for a long time without any problems washing the chicken in the sink ! And it’s totally fine to wash the chicken before cookkng and I’ve been doing the same thing also for 25 years and my kids and fine and no one got sick! You don’t have to tell anyone what to do they can do whatever they want to do to their food .
Why don’t people know about how to disinfect their area to prevent cross contamination and practice safe food practices? If your gross and choose to not even rinse off your chicken and just cook it straight out of the slimy pack just say that
Clearly you’re too stupid to know about disinfecting your area to prevent cross contamination.. just because u can spread bacteria doesn’t mean u shouldn’t use your own brain and clean your meat? So u just take it right out of the nasty packet and throw it in the pan?
Geez Louise! Why so angry?!?
Wash your chicken if it makes you feel better…some choose to follow science.
It’s all a matter of personal choice.
Above all…be kind.☮️
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.
Or boil down the marinade from the chicken for at least 3 minutes and then it’s safe to pour over.
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!!!
Rude is rude, and rude never misses an opportunity to get mad over nothing.
Hope that mad patron finds grace extended to her when it’s needed 😑
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.
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 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.
This sounds soo delicious, could you tell me should I double the time to cook if i use 4 chkn breasts?
Studies have shown as long as you cook the chicken to the correct temperature there’s no need to rinse it. Rinsing also could cause the bacteria from the raw chicken to Splash on the countertops and sink area of your kitchen
🤨.. that’s why we clean our countertops and sinks..
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!!