Why You’ll Love This this Mediterranean Lemon Garlic Chicken
This Mediterranean lemon garlic chicken is basically foolproof comfort food that makes your kitchen smell like a fancy restaurant, even though you’re probably cooking it in your pajamas.
The combination of buttery, garlicky chicken with those caramelized lemon slices creates this incredible depth of flavor that honestly makes me wonder why I ever order takeout.
Plus, it’s one of those recipes where you just throw everything in a dish and let the oven do all the heavy lifting, which means more time for you to scroll through your phone while dinner cooks itself.
Ingredients List
This Mediterranean lemon garlic chicken requires just a handful of simple ingredients that you probably already have lurking in your kitchen right now.
- 4 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 lemons
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
Here are a few things to keep in mind about these ingredients from a health perspective:
- The olive oil provides healthy monounsaturated fats that are great for heart health.
- Garlic brings anti-inflammatory properties and immune-boosting benefits to the table.
- Lemons pack vitamin C and help your body absorb the iron from the chicken.
- Keeping the skin on the chicken means more flavor but also more saturated fat, so you can always remove it after cooking if you’re watching your fat intake.
- The bone-in breasts stay juicier during cooking and actually provide more nutrients than boneless cuts.
Step by Step Directions
Creating this Mediterranean lemon garlic chicken is straightforward and delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort.
- Preheat your oven to high broil.
- Slice the lemons into circles and arrange them on the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Place the chicken breasts on top of the lemon slices with skin facing up.
- Carefully slide one garlic clove under the skin of each chicken breast (you can add two cloves per breast for extra garlic flavor).
- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top of each breast.
- Place half a tablespoon of butter on top of each chicken breast.
- Broil in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and carefully flip each chicken breast so the skin is now facing down on the lemons.
- Season the exposed (non-skin) side with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze half a lemon over the chicken.
- Return to the oven and broil for an additional 12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
For those who prefer cooking with high-heat outdoor equipment, consider using a professional wok burner setup for excellent searing results.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oil options – Avocado oil handles high heat like a champ, or try a flavored olive oil if you have one lurking in your pantry.
- Spice it up – A pinch of red pepper flakes, some smoked paprika, or even a dash of za’atar can transform this into something completely different.
- Wine addition – Pour a splash of white wine into the bottom of the dish with those lemon slices for extra depth, because why not make it a little more sophisticated.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This chicken pairs beautifully with so many sides that you’ll have trouble choosing just one.
- Roasted vegetables – Toss some asparagus, Brussels sprouts, or zucchini with olive oil and throw them in the oven alongside your chicken for the last 20 minutes.
- Rice or grains – Plain rice soaks up those lemony pan juices like a dream, but quinoa or couscous work just as well if you’re feeling fancy.
- Potatoes – Whether you go with crispy roasted baby potatoes, creamy mashed ones, or even just some crusty bread to mop up the sauce, you really can’t go wrong.
- Simple salad – A fresh arugula salad with a light vinaigrette cuts through the richness perfectly, and honestly, after all that cooking, who wants to make something complicated?
- Greek-style sides – Think tzatziki, warm pita, or a cucumber tomato salad to lean into those Mediterranean atmospheres, because this chicken practically begs for that treatment.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Getting this chicken just right isn’t rocket science, but a few little secrets will make you look like a total pro.
- Don’t skip the skin-on, bone-in breasts – I know they cost more, but trust me on this one, the skin gets gorgeously crispy under that broiler and the bone keeps everything juicy.
- Really shove that garlic under the skin – Use your fingers to create a little pocket and push those cloves way up there, because garlic that falls out during cooking is just sad, wasted potential.
- Watch your oven like a hawk – Broilers are moody creatures that can go from golden perfection to charcoal disaster in about thirty seconds, so don’t wander off to scroll through your phone.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after cooking – This gives all those beautiful juices time to redistribute instead of running all over your cutting board the second you slice into it.
- Save those lemony pan drippings – Seriously, pour them over everything, your rice, your vegetables, maybe even drink them straight from the pan when nobody’s looking.
- Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly – Pull it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you start cooking, because cold chicken in a hot oven is like jumping into a pool without testing the water first.
Nutritional Facts
This Mediterranean masterpiece delivers serious protein power while keeping things relatively healthy – here’s what you’re getting per serving:
- Calories: Approximately 485 per serving (serves 4)
- Protein: 54g – nearly your entire daily protein needs in one delicious package
- Fat: 28g total, with 18g from heart-healthy monounsaturated fats thanks to all that olive oil
- Saturated Fat: 6g from the butter and chicken skin
- Carbohydrates: 3g – practically keto-friendly
- Fiber: 1g from the lemon zest and pulp
- Sodium: 180mg before you add your own salt (so season wisely)
- Vitamin C: 45% of your daily value from those beautiful lemons
- Vitamin B6: 35% daily value for energy metabolism
- Niacin: 88% daily value for heart and brain health
- Phosphorus: 25% daily value for strong bones and teeth
- Selenium: 40% daily value for immune system support
- Potassium: 380mg for muscle function and blood pressure regulation
Fun “Did You Know?”
Who knew that the Mediterranean diet’s famous longevity benefits aren’t just marketing hype?
I’ve uncovered that lemons were actually considered luxury items in ancient Rome, often worth more than gold!
The garlic in this recipe isn’t just flavorful—it’s been used medicinally for over 5,000 years.
Here’s something fascinating: cooking chicken with the skin on actually helps retain more nutrients and moisture.
The olive oil we’re drizzling contains compounds that become more bioavailable when heated.
Plus, the combination of lemon and garlic creates a natural antimicrobial effect that ancient Mediterranean cooks unknowingly used for food preservation.
