Oven Fried Lemon Chicken
An oven fried chicken recipe with a tangy lemon flavor.
Lemon zest and lemon juice give this oven fried lemon chicken recipe a tart, tangy flavor.
Although this lemon chicken recipe calls for skinless bone-in chicken pieces, there is no reason you can't use boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs instead. Just cut the cooking time to 20 to 25 minutes, instead of 30 to 40 minutes.
This recipe is adapted from Pamela Morgan's Flavors Cookbook (Viking, 1998). Morgan recommends allowing the chicken to marinate overnight, but that isn't really necessary. There is enough acid in the lemon juice to flavor and tenderize the chicken in as little as an hour. However, if you're planning ahead and want to make this oven fried chicken recipe for a party, feel free to marinate the chicken overnight.
Serve this lemon chicken with carrot raisin salad, roasted green beans and blonde brownies for dessert. This chicken also tastes wonderful cold the next day for lunch.
Crispy Oven Fried Lemon Chicken
- 6-8 lemons
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme (or 2 tsp. dried thyme)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8-10 bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed
- 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Zest the lemons into the container of a blender or food processor. Now juice the lemons into the same container, being careful not to get any seeds in. Add the garlic, thyme and olive oil. Blend until pureed. Arrange chicken pieces in a large baking dish. Pour marinade over chicken, turning each piece to make sure it is fully coated. Cover and refrigerate 1-4 hours.
About an hour before serving, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Mix bread crumbs and Parmigiano cheese together in a shallow dish. Remove chicken pieces from the marinate and roll in the bread crumb mixture. (Discard leftover marinade.) Place chicken pieces on a sheet pan (or a Mario Batali cast iron pizza pan if you have one). Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Bake until the chicken is crispy and cooked through, about 30-40 minutes.
Serves 6.
Per serving: 409 calories, 17 g fat (4 g saturated), 71 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 31 g protein, 3% Vitamin A, 39% Vitamin C, 21% calcium, 17% iron
For more healthy chicken recipes, see also:
- Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Breasts with Wine
- Italian Chicken Saltimbocca
- Chicken Piccata
- Crock Pot Lemon Chicken with Rice
- Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Burritos with Black Beans
- Chicken Hash Recipe
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Chicken Noodle Soup
