Lemon Pepper Hen 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 uninterested in. It’s the one I attain for after I want a simple dinner, need to toss stuff on the grill, or want a batch of hen for any type of meal prep. The substances are easy, however collectively they make hen that’s juicy, flavorful, and something however boring. At any time when I’m undecided what to make for dinner, that is normally the place I begin.

Why My Recipe

• My go-to marinade for the previous 15 years.
• Only a few minutes of prep provides you juicy, flavorful hen that’s prepared for weeknights, meal prep, or cookouts.
• Works with breasts or thighs and consists of oven, grill, and stovetop cooking choices.

Recent lemon juice does all of the heavy lifting right here, whereas lemon pepper and a few dried herbs hold the flavour vibrant with out overpowering the hen. It really works simply as nicely with hen breasts because it does thighs so go together with whichever one your loved ones likes finest. I do advocate choosing boneless skinless both means. I’ve included baking, grilling, and stovetop directions so you’ll be able to cook dinner it nevertheless makes probably the most sense in your day or the time of 12 months.

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed provides the very best 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 generally you’ll want 2.
• Olive Oil: Common olive oil or further virgin olive oil each work.
• Lemon Pepper: Lemon pepper blends can fluctuate fairly a bit in salt content material so be careful for that.
• Dried Oregano and Basil: Follow dried herbs for this one to maintain issues easy.
• Salt: I’m simply utilizing desk salt right here.
• Purple Pepper Flakes: Fully non-obligatory, however they provides a gentle kick with out making the hen overly spicy.
• Boneless Skinless Hen Breasts or Thighs: Each work nice. Hen thighs are naturally extra forgiving and keep juicy even when they cook dinner a little bit longer.

Hen Breasts vs. Thighs

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

Hen breasts are leaner and cook dinner a little bit sooner, whereas hen thighs have a little bit extra fats, making them further juicy and forgiving in the event that they keep on the warmth a number of further minutes. I exploit each repeatedly, relying on what’s on sale or what I have already got within the fridge.

Cooking Technique Choices

One among my favourite issues about this marinade is that it really works irrespective of the way you’re cooking dinner. Grill it through the summer season, bake it within the oven for a simple weeknight meal, or cook 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 use whichever works finest in your schedule and the climate.

Serving Solutions

This hen goes with nearly all the things (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 hold it tremendous easy by utilizing 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.