Lemon Pepper Rooster Marinade

I’ve been making this lemon pepper hen marinade for over 15 years, and it’s a kind of recipes I by no means get bored with. It’s the one I attain for after I want a simple dinner, wish to toss stuff on the grill, or want a batch of hen for any type of meal prep. The elements are easy, however collectively they make hen that’s juicy, flavorful, and something however boring. At any time when 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 offers you juicy, flavorful hen that’s prepared for weeknights, meal prep, or cookouts.
• Works with breasts or thighs and contains 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 preserve the flavour brilliant with out overpowering the hen. It really works simply as effectively with hen breasts because it does thighs so go along with whichever one your loved ones likes finest. I do advocate choosing boneless skinless both method. I’ve included baking, grilling, and stovetop directions so you may prepare dinner it nonetheless makes essentially the most sense in your day or the time of 12 months.

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed offers the most effective taste, however bottled lemon juice works if that’s what you will have. 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: Keep on with dried herbs for this one to maintain issues easy.
• Salt: I’m simply utilizing desk salt right here.
• Purple Pepper Flakes: Utterly non-obligatory, however they provides a light kick with out making the hen overly spicy.
• Boneless Skinless Rooster Breasts or Thighs: Each work nice. Rooster thighs are naturally extra forgiving and keep juicy even when they prepare dinner a little bit longer.

Rooster Breasts vs. Thighs

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

Rooster breasts are leaner and prepare dinner a little bit quicker, whereas hen thighs have a little bit extra fats, making them additional juicy and forgiving in the event that they keep on the warmth a number of additional minutes. I take advantage of each frequently, relying on what’s on sale or what I have already got within the fridge.

Cooking Methodology Choices

One among my favourite issues about this marinade is that it really works regardless of the way you’re cooking dinner. Grill it throughout the summer time, bake it within the oven for a simple weeknight meal, or prepare dinner it in a skillet once you don’t really feel like turning the oven on. I’ve included directions for all three strategies, so you should utilize whichever works finest in your schedule and the climate.

Serving Strategies

This hen goes with nearly every part (which is why I like 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 simple dinner.

Add a Veggie: like my cheesy skillet broccoli, roasted asparagus, or preserve 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.