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This lemon basil chicken is made with chicken breasts marinaded in lemon juice, fresh basil, honey and garlic for a juicy and flavourful meat. The perfect healthy dinner! Paleo and naturally gluten free.
I have made this recipe countless times because it's such an easy + healthy dinner option! It's made with pantry staples and requires little "hands on" time.
We love to have it with mashed potatoes or cauliflower to soak up all that delicious sauce + a green salad or sautéed veggies on the side. It's great with rice (cauli or normal) or pasta (zucchini or normal), too!
I'm not fortune teller, but I'm pretty sure your whole family will love it!
This lemon basil chicken is:
- easy
- lemony but not too much
- tastes like summer (even when it's not!)
- tender
- juicy
Let's make it together!
How to make lemon basil chicken – step by step
Start by cutting both chicken breasts in half lengthwise(steps 1 to 3)
This will allow the chicken to cook quicker and more evenly.
Prepare the marinade by mixing together fresh lemon juice, roughly chopped basil leaves, minced garlic and a little bit of water(step 4).
Place the cut chicken breasts in the bowl with the marinade and toss so that they are covered with marinade(step 5)
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour, or at least 30 minutes if you're in a hurry.
Tips to make lemon basil chicken:
- Can I use chicken thighs for this recipe?Yes, you can useskinless boneless or skin-on bone-in chicken thighs. Skip the cutting in half part and cook them a bit longer (the rest of the recipe is the same). Exact time will depend on the thickness of the thighs – they are ready when no longer pink inside.
- How long do I have to marinate the chicken? Do I have to marinate it at all?If you are in a hurry, you can skip the marinating part. The longer you marinate the chicken, the more it will absorb the flavors so I recommend at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour. You can also prepare overnight if it's more convient for you.
- Be sure toboil the sauceas instructed – this is what makes it safe to eat after being in contact with raw chicken.
If you tried this lemon basil chicken,don’t forget torate the recipe belowand let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me onInstagram,PinterestandFacebookfor more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!
4.89 from 9 votes
Lemon Basil Chicken
This lemon basil chicken is made with chicken breasts marinaded in lemon juice, fresh basil, honey and garlic for a juicy and flavourful meat. The perfect healthy dinner! Paleo and naturally gluten free.
CourseMain Course
CuisineAmerican
Keyword#chickenrecipe, #easychickenrecipe, #lemonchicken
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 178 kcal
Ingredients
- 2large chicken breastsabout 1.5 lbs / 680 grams total
- 8 tbsplemon juicefrom about 3 large lemons
- 1 ½tbsphoney
- 2tbspwater
- 3clovesgarlicminced
- 12fresh basil leavesroughly chopped
- saltto taste
- freshly cracked pepperto taste
- ½tbspolive oil
- fresh parsley chopped, to serve – optional
Instructions
Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 pieces (try to make them equal sized for an even cooking). Set aside.
Prepare the marinade. In a large glass bowl combine lemon juice, honey, water, garlic and basil. (You can also use a large ziplock bag: add all the ingredients, seal and shake to combine).
Place chicken in the marinade bowl (or ziplock bag) and toss so that all the breasts are covered with marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, refrigerate and marinate for one hour (or at least 30 minutes).
When chicken has marinated, heat olive oil in a non stick skillet, on high heat. Remove chicken from marinade, paying attention to remove all the garlic and basil leaves that may have sticked to the breasts (they would burn while cooking).
When skillet is very hot, brown chicken breasts 2 minutes per side (4 minutes total). Pour the marinade in the skillet and mix well to get all the meat juices. Bring to a boil (this will happen very quickly) and cook for one minute.
Reduce to a rapid simmer (medium heat) and cook for 5 more minutes, basting the sauce over the chicken breasts regularly. Chicken is ready when no longer pink inside (don't over cook to make sure chicken isn't dry).
To serve, place chicken on a plate, and spoon sauce on top. Scatter fresh basil or parsley, if using, and serve.
Sides suggestion: mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower to soak up all the sauce, with a green salad on the side.
Recipe Notes
- Freezing instructions: place the uncooked chicken breasts with the marinade in a ziplock bag and freeze for a month. When ready to eat, place in the fridge overnight to thaw. Proceed as written.
- Can I use chicken thighs for this recipe?Yes, you can useskinless boneless or skin-on bone-in chicken thighs. Skip the cutting in half part and cook them a bit longer (the rest of the recipe is the same). Exact time will depend on the thickness of the thighs – they are ready when no longer pink inside.
- How long do I have to marinate the chicken? Do I have to marinate it at all?If you are in a hurry, you can skip the marinating part. The longer you marinate the chicken, the more it will absorb the flavors so I recommend at least 30 minutes, ideally 1 hour. You can also prepare overnight if it's more convient for you.
- Be sure toboil the sauceas instructed – this is what makes it safe to eat after being in contact with raw chicken.
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Basil Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 portion (½ chicken breast + sauce))
Calories 178Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Cholesterol 72mg24%
Sodium 132mg6%
Potassium 458mg13%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 95IU2%
Vitamin C 13.9mg17%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
UPDATE NOTE:This post was originally published onSeptember 10, 2012and republished in August 2018 with an updated recipe, new photos and more tips.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Ceejay
Adding marinade back to the dish that raw chicken has sat in is a no no! Total contamination risk. Would you make extra instead to add after the chicken has browned? This looks great otherwise!
Marie
That's a good point, I didn't think of the raw chicken issue at all. Thanks for pointing that out! You could totally prepare additional marinade instead.
Cathy
Hi Marie,
Just found your website today and love your recipes! Will be back often ... definitely the way I like to cook and eat.
In response to Ceejay, I think if you made a little more marinade, removed the chicken to a plate before adding the marinade and brought the marinade to a boil, while scraping up the browned bits, it would solve the contamination problem. I would boil it for 2 minutes or so, reduce to a rapid simmer and return the chicken along with any accumulated juices and follow the recipe from there. This recipe sounds great!
marie
Hi Cathy, thank you very much for your sweet comment! I'm very glad you enjoy my blog 🙂 As for this recipe, thanks for your input. It sounds like a great way to avoid the contamination problem AND have a delicious chicken at the end 😉 I need to take some new photos of this dish so I'll try your method then.
Cathy
Sorry for the duplication Marie! My original response failed, or so i was told by World Press, so I reposted as a reply! Feel free to delete either and this comment. Thanks again, this, as well as many of your recipes sounds fantastic!
Andrew
Well, I'm not sure how the total time can be 18 minutes if step 2 includes "marinate the chicken for 30-60 minutes"...
Matt
I love messing around with marinades and when I was thinking about dinner for tonight I thought, how about lemon basil and honey. Since you have perfected it already I will use your recipe as a guideline and ill surely be back on your website because I like the way you think when it comes to food haha
marie
Great minds think alike 😉 lemon, basil and honey is an awesome combo, love it. I would be glad to see you around again soon Matt!
Robert M.
I turned the extra marinade in to a sauce by first adding some water and simmering it for 15 minutes to make sire that there is no cross contamination than I added a slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken it than ye have a nice sauce to add to some cooked rice when ye serve it over rice chicken and steamed broccoli, or steamed cauliflower.
marie
It sounds delicious!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
I love a good chicken recipe and am always looking for new ways to prepare it. This one sounds like comfort food at its best!
Marie
Thank you Lisa! 🙂
Dahn
What a great combination of flavors. I grow basil in my kitchen and love using the fresh pickings.
Marie
Lucky you!
Danielle
Such a lovely light summer meal! I love lemon chicken - so fresh.
Marie
Thank you Danielle! 🙂
Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites
SO good! A perfect recipe for weeknights! Even my kids will eat this - yay!
Marie
Thanks for the compliment Lauren 😀 Yay for kid-approved recipes!
Janette | Culinary Ginger
Chicken with lemon and basil is the perfect combination for a delicious chicken meal.
Marie
Thank you, I love this combo too! 🙂
Don Will
I’m going to try this tonight but instead of rice or mashed potatoes I think I’m going to add about 3 small red new potatoes to the mixture when I set it to boil. Does this sound ok? Do I need some thing additional because of using the potatoes?
Marie
Absolutely! No difference in the recipe 🙂
Pauline Molony
Hi, I am from Australia and have just cooked your recipe for lemon basil chicken.
Truly, it was absolutely delicious, in fact my partner said to me that it was the best chicken meal he has had and I am a cook and do something different most nights, including lots of chicken dishes.
The taste and texture was just lovely, especially using lots of basil and parsley. As long as the marinade is cooked at boiling point, when added to the dish for a few minutes it is very acceptable to consume without getting sick. I served it with couscous, steamed green beans and a green salad. Super scrumptious, thank you for sharing that recipe with us.Marie
That sounds amazing! Thanks so much, dear Pauline, for sharing your experience! Have an excellent day!
Katie
Could I bake this recipe?
Marie
Hi Katie! You could try baking it in an oven-save skillet at 400 - best to check for doneness with a meat thermometer. For chicken, your goal inside temp would be 165 F!As soon as it reads this temperature, remove your skillet from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Hope this helps.
Paul Fox
Marie,
Thanks for the recipe. Man that was good. We had just picked some fresh basil and we had chicken thighs in the fridge so I searched for a recipe and found yours. We will most definitely have this many more times. I added sauteed mushrooms.
We also served it with mashed cauliflower first time for that too!) and it was just marvelous. I think the only thing I'll do differently next time is to add a little corn starch to thicken the sauce into more of a gravy.
I have a stone ground mustard, red wine vinegar, chicken with mushrooms recipe that my wife loves and we cook regularly. I'll cook this one regularly as well.
Thanks again and happy cooking!
Marie
Love the sound of your addition Paul. And fresh basil, yum! I'm glad you loved this recipe, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Sue Upton
Made this but I used thighs and cinnamon basil from my herb garden. It was delicious! Will definitely make this again.
Marie
Homegrown basil is the best! Thanks for sharing Sue!
Cheryl
Could you add cream and white wine at some point??? And if so when??
Marie
Sure, why not! I would add them at step 6, after browning the chicken and boiling the marinade.
Louise
HI I would like to ask how Long would I need to bake the chicken if I prefer to bake it in the oven than pan frying it
Marie
I haven't tested the oven method but you could try baking them at 450F for about 15 minutes, or until no longer pink inside. I'm not sure it would be enough to kill the bacteria in the marinade though so I would still boil it in a separate pot to be on the safe side. Overall, I would still recommend the stovetop method - it's not really fried as we are only using 1/2 tablespoon of oil, if you're concerned about that.
Shelley Wood
Curious, ya'll are talking about boiling the original marinade, correct? That the chicken has been in because it'll be boiled n cooked.
