Fast and Straightforward Lemon Hen

That is a type of fast and straightforward weeknight meals that you just’ll need to preserve ceaselessly—even choosy eaters prefer it! Meals like this are what we grew up on, and we nonetheless adore it simply as a lot as we did many years in the past. If you happen to’re uninterested in preventing along with your children to complete their dinner, that is the recipe for you. And as a bonus, you’ll adore it too!

With a marinade made out of recent lemon juice, herbs, and pantry staples, this dish comes collectively rapidly. Whether or not you’re on the lookout for a weeknight dinner or a meal to impress, this recipe has you lined for each. It additionally pairs properly with virtually any aspect—assume roasted veggies, steamed rice, or a easy inexperienced salad.

Ingredient Notes

• Boneless Skinless Hen Breasts: Select evenly sized breasts for constant cooking. You can too use boneless skinless hen thighs, they’ll simply take longer to cook dinner.
• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice goes to provide the finest taste, however bottled lemon juice works too and it certain is handy.
• Further Virgin Olive Oil: Common olive oil works in addition to different neutral-flavored oils.
• Lemon Pepper: Lemon pepper is a mixture of black pepper, lemon zest, and a pinch of garlic powder.
• Dried Basil and Oregano: We’re retaining it easy with dried herbs to make this dish as simple as doable.

Marinating Occasions

For this recipe, half-hour is all you’ll want to pack in loads of recent, zesty taste. It’s good for these busy weeknights when time isn’t in your aspect. If in case you have extra time, although, you may let the hen absorb the marinade for as much as 8 hours.

Don’t go overboard. Marinating for too lengthy—particularly greater than 12 hours—can truly make the hen mushy due to the acid within the lemon juice.

A fast 15-minute marinade will nonetheless provide you with somewhat enhance of taste. Simply toss the hen within the marinade whilst you prep your sides, and also you’re good to go!

Freezer Choice

Right here’s somewhat kitchen hack: freeze your hen proper within the marinade! It marinates whereas it thaws—how simple is that? Simply pop your hen and marinade right into a freezer-safe bag, press out as a lot air as you may, and freeze it.

Whenever you’re able to cook dinner, thaw it within the fridge. This retains issues food-safe and offers the marinade loads of time to work its magic. Relying on the scale of your hen items, thawing would possibly take a couple of hours or in a single day.

Make it a Meal

Serve with Grains: Pair lemon hen with a aspect of fluffy rice, quinoa, or couscous.

Add Greens: Roasted or steamed greens complement the zesty hen properly. Contemplate choices like broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or costume up frozen vegetables for a fast and straightforward choice.

Prime a Salad: A recent salad, whether or not it’s a easy green salad, a Caeser salad, or a extra elaborate Greek salad, provides a refreshing factor to the meal.

Embody a Starch: For a heartier meal, add a starch like roasted or mashed potatoes, or perhaps a slice of crusty bread to absorb the scrumptious juices from the hen.

Pair with Pasta: Lemon hen goes properly with a simple pasta for a hearty and filling meal.