Honey Lemon Baked Chicken
Posted By Savita
Sharing today, one of the easiest no-oil healthy baked chicken recipe which you can cook once and use many ways! Add it to salads, stir-fries, tacos, or breakfast wraps! This mild, sweet, tangy chicken adapts any flavors you through on it. Oh- and it is specially great for kids!
Baked chicken in refrigerator is my "saving grace" when I have to put dinner or even breakfast on table, under 20 minutes!!
Today's Honey Lemon chicken is my special favorite! I like the fact that even when I don't add any flavors, this sweet and tangy chicken is perfect on it's own.
I also love packing it, for a protein-side, for lunch Or adding it to a zesty pasta like this one.
You all know, I can't cook without spices! I really can't! May be it is my Indian heritage or my never ending love for chilies, spices, and herbs. A year back, I was making recipes for a group... they often had one demand, "Give us something without spice and very simple!". I was like, "Do you mean not even black pepper? I think I have to quit in that case!" lol! Well, fortunately they meant everything else (chilies, curry powders, mace, cloves etc) but black pepper!
Eventually, I did make 2-3 ingredient and specially no-spice recipes for them. During that phase, I also learned the benefits of making (and sharing) such simple everyday recipes!
Like this Baked Chicken is a 'blank canvas'. You can paint-on any color... I mean 'spice or flavors', you like. Like a touch of cayenne will take this sweet and lemony chicken to a whole new level. Sweet and Spicy, something like Honey-Pepper Glazed Chicken sold in Chinese eateries!
Cayenne? Chili? Here we go! My spice-spirits kick-in again ;) Idea is, you can make a part of it without spice and part with spice, to fit to everyone's need in family, from kids to spice-lovers. You get it right? :-)
Honey Glazed Chicken?
Oh, that reminds me! This chicken is just simply baked not glazed. To make Honey Glazed Baked chicken, I mean chicken with that glistening coat of honey-lemon.... just don't through away the leftover marinade. Instead refrigerate it while chicken is baking. Once chicken is out of the oven, cook juices collected in the bottom of pan with leftover marinade until thick and syrupy. (Keep an eye it can burn quickly.) Pour over baked Honey-Lemon chicken for a delicious honey glaze! yumm!!
From start to finish, this is a simple and straightforward recipe. I guess, THE simplest recipe I have ever shared!
Preheat oven and coat chicken in honey-lemon marinade.
Bake covered for 20 minutes and then uncovered for another 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked (read recipe instructions for more details). Juicy chicken is ready to serve!
Slice and use it any way you like!
My favorite are salads and hearty pasta dinners, like the one shared in picture above! (recipe coming soon!)
Have a great day, my friends! - Savita
Few more delicious Chicken Recipes!
Ingredients
- Baked Chicken
- 1 lbs Chicken (breasts, 4-5 by count, skinless and boneless)
- 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
- 4 tbsp Lemon (juice, juice of 1-2 lemons, if can't find lemon, use 2 tbsp lime juice)
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Black Pepper (to taste)
Directions
- 1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
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2. In a bowl add all marinade ingredients - orange juice, lemon juice, honey, and salt and mix well until honey is fully dissolved. -
3. Coat chicken in juice mix. (I sliced chicken breasts in half for personal preference. You can keep'em whole.) then place chicken pieces in an oven-safe pan. Season top with black pepper. Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes. Additional Notes:
For better results, let chicken hang-out with marinate for 30 minutes in refrigerator. -
4. After 20 minutes, remove foil, flip chicken and season with black pepper. Continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes or until thickest part of chicken registers 170 degrees and juices run clear when sliced. -
5. Juicy chicken is ready! Transfer chicken to a clean seal-able pan or slice and serve immediately. Or keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Savita's Recipe Notes:
TIP: For delicious glaze. Don't throw the marinade. After chicken is baked, transfer the liquid collected at bottom of baking pan to a sauce pan. Add remaining marinade and cook for 5 minutes on high heat or until reduced by half. Pour it over chicken for delicious sweet and tangy glaze.
Recipe doubles easily. Bake extra chicken and refrigerate for later use.
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