This perfectly Braised Lemon Garlic Chicken is a great way to liven up your weeknight menu! Juicy, tender chicken quarters are joined in the skillet by capers, shallots, lemon and garlic confit for an easy weeknight dinner that is packed with flavor!
Easy Lemon Garlic Chicken
If you are ever looking for a new recipe that is going to wake up your taste buds…. this is it! I don’t know how many lemon chicken recipes I have tried in my day. Too many to count. But I finally put all that good research to work and developed my very own lemon chicken recipe and I am so excited to be sharing it with you guys!
If you really want to take this over the top, then you first NEED to make my garlic confit. So easy and brings so much added flavor! This is the best lemon garlic chicken recipe and we always serve it with Creamy Whole30 Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower and some roasted broccolini because I could eat that stuff all. day. long.
Looking for another easy chicken dinner option? Our Baked Chicken & Rice is amazing!
What You Will Need
- chicken quarters – a large piece of chicken that has not been separated into the chicken thigh and chicken leg. You could also use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or chicken breasts!
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – a simple seasoning combination that is always necessary when cooking meat.
- ghee – use this to keep it Whole30 compliant or you could use plant-based butter to be dairy-free or just regular butter, if those aren’t of concern to you.
- arrowroot powder – perfect gluten-free option that acts as a little bit of a thickener.
- chicken broth – either pick up your favorite from your local grocery store or make a homemade chicken broth!
- lemon – one for the juice and one to cut into slices and toss in the skillet.
- capers, shallots, & bay leaf – great for adding so many great flavors to this simple chicken recipe!
- garlic confit – so easy to make yourself right at home and really levels up the flavor!
How To Make Braised Lemon Garlic Chicken
To begin this easy chicken recipe, you can grab some clean paper towels and pat your chicken dry.
Then sprinkle on the kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Next, place the arrowroot powder in a medium bowl and coat each chicken quarter, one at a time, until they are all coated. Shake off any excess arrowroot powder before removing them from the bowl.
Now bring a large cast iron skillet to medium high heat and sear the chicken quarters for about 4-5 minutes on each side. This will need to be done in batches.
After searing your chicken, set them aside on a plate.
Keeping your skillet on medium-high heat, add the ghee to melt, and then add the shallots until they reduce. This will only take about a minute.
Then add the chicken broth and lemon juice, mix to fully combine.
Finally, add the capers, lemon slices, garlic, bay leaf, and then nestle the chicken on top.
Place the entire skillet on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes and then drop the temperature to 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer).
How Do You Know When Your Chicken Is Done
This is a very simple process! Just grab your trusty meat thermometer and insert the probe into the thickest part of your chicken to make sure that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F. If it has not reached that temperature yet, you can just keep cooking it and check back in 5 minute increments until they are done.
How Should I Serve Braised Lemon Garlic Chicken
There are so many great side dish recipes to compliment this flavorful chicken recipe! If you are looking to keep your meal Whole30 you will want to pair it with our Creamy Whole30 Mashed Potatoes and some Oven Roasted Green Beans. And if you aren’t doing a Whole30, you could also serve them with Mashed Cauliflower, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Asparagus, or Steamed Broccoli!
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like
Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Lemon Garlic Chicken – An easy way to wake up your test buds with a delicious Whole30 compliant chicken dish!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken quarters (you could also substitute 6–8 chicken thighs)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons ghee, divided (sub butter if not Whole30)
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2–3 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
- 1 lemon, sliced (cut off ends)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup garlic confit (sub 6–8 raw garlic cloves, smashed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Sear Chicken: pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper, and place arrowroot powder in a medium mixing bowl. Coat the seasoned chicken quarters in arrowroot powder, one at at time, and shake off the excess. Take a large cast iron skillet and melt 2 tablespoons of ghee on medium-high heat, swirl to coat the pan. Place the chicken in the hot skillet and sear on both sides 4-5 minutes (if using thighs, you may need to do this in batches). Remove chicken and place on plate; set aside.
- Prepare Sauce: Reduce heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon of ghee, and let melt. Add shallots and stir until they reduce, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and lemon juice, whisk to fully combine. Add capers, lemon slices, garlic, and bay leaf, and mix again.
- Bake: Nestle the chicken back in the skillet and bake for 5 minutes at 450 degrees F and then reduce to 350 degrees F, cooking for another 20-30 minutes (or until fully cooked – 165 degrees F. internal temperature).
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Taste and additional salt, as desired.
- Serve immediately with with either Whole30 Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower and spoon the sauce left in the pan over top everything.
Notes
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 232
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 466.5 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.1 g
- Protein: 8.9 g
- Cholesterol: 45.4 mg
Keywords: lemon garlic chicken, braised lemon garlic chicken
Originally published February 26, 2018 – updated with new photos.
danika says
SPECTACULAR recipe, Erin! Thank you!
I used thighs and didn’t measure the ingredients – but flavors were perfect.
I’ve never met a recipe of yours that wasn’t amazing.
Best,
Danika
★★★★★
Erin says
Oh my gosh, thank you Danika! That means so much to me! (and I LOVE this recipe!) I appreciate your kind words!
Stephanie says
This was delicious. I made the thighs and it worked well. I did not have capers so left them out and it was very good. Very easy to make. Nice lemon garlic flavor. We will make this again!
★★★★★
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie!
Nicole says
I don’t really care for dark meat could I use chicken breasts instead?
Erin says
Yes! Cooking time should be fairly similar, but I would just keep an eye on the internal temp! But, yes they should work just fine! You could even use chicken cutlets for a quicker cooking time!
Pauline says
This was excellent. I accidentally bought boneless thighs and even with that, it was extremely good. Also, tastes fantastic as leftovers.
★★★★★
Erin says
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it, Pauline!! And thank you for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it!
Lisa says
Can cornstarch be used instead of arrowroot powder?
Morgan says
This is one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever made. It makes me feel gourmet and I always know it will be delicious. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Yay!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to provide feedback! It means so much to me to hear that!! Glad you love it! 🙂