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 straightforward dinner, wish to toss something on the grill, or want a batch of hen for any kind of meal prep. The substances are easy, however collectively they make hen that’s juicy, flavorful, and something however boring. Every time I’m unsure what to make for dinner, that is often the place I begin.

Why My Recipe

• My go-to marinade for the previous 15 years.
• Only a few minutes of prep provides you juicy, flavorful hen that’s prepared for weeknights, meal prep, or cookouts.
• Works with breasts or thighs and consists of oven, grill, and stovetop cooking choices.

Contemporary lemon juice does all of the heavy lifting right here, whereas lemon pepper and a few dried herbs maintain the flavour vibrant with out overpowering the hen. It really works simply as properly 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 method. I’ve included baking, grilling, and stovetop directions so you’ll be able to cook dinner it nevertheless makes essentially the most sense to your day or the time of 12 months.

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed provides the very best taste, however bottled lemon juice works if that’s what you’ve got. 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 differ fairly a bit in salt content material so be careful for that.
• Dried Oregano and Basil: Stick to dried herbs for this one to maintain issues easy.
• Salt: I’m simply utilizing desk salt right here.
• Crimson Pepper Flakes: Utterly non-obligatory, however they provides a light 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 cook dinner slightly longer.

Hen Breasts vs. Thighs

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

Hen breasts are leaner and cook dinner slightly sooner, whereas hen thighs have slightly 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 recurrently, relying on what’s on sale or what I have already got within the fridge.

Cooking Methodology Choices

Certainly one of my favourite issues about this marinade is that it really works regardless of the way you’re cooking dinner. Grill it in the course of the summer season, bake it within the oven for a straightforward weeknight meal, or cook 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 all the pieces (which is why I adore 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 straightforward dinner.

Add a Veggie: like my cheesy skillet broccoli, roasted asparagus, or maintain it tremendous easy through the use of 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.