Lemon Dill Chicken Breasts
These lemon dill chicken breasts are so juicy and flavorful! We love serving them with a quick cucumber, tomato, and feta salad for a fresh and healthy meal. One of my favorites, for sure! This is one of my favorite chicken breast recipes! I love this lemon dill chicken so much I could eat it almost every day. The secret is to marinate your chicken in our simple lemon and dill marinade, then cook them in a skillet. From there, you can make my quick cucumber feta salad and have a meal in one. Both the chicken and salad recipes are below! I use my no-fail method for cooking the chicken breasts for this recipe, so your chicken will turn out tender, juicy in the middle, and never dried out. We use the same cooking method to make our juicy skillet chicken breasts! It’s the best method, trust me! Key Ingredients Chicken: This recipe works beautifully for chicken breasts, but you can use chicken thighs. If your chicken breasts are huge, you can use a mallet or rolling pin to pound them to an even thickness, which speeds up the cooking time and produces evener results. That said, I skip this step if I am in a rush! Lemon Dill Marinade: You’ll combine fresh lemon juice with olive oil, garlic, fresh dill, salt, and pepper. It’s so simple and adds so much flavor! If you don’t have dill, use another fresh herb like mint or basil. Just 20 minutes in this marinade will make a difference. Cucumber Feta Salad: The dressing is simple and made with lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and honey. Then, we toss in more fresh dill, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cubes of feta cheese. It’s easy and so delicious! For the cucumbers, I love Hothouse or Persian cucumbers since they have thinner skin and don’t have any seeds. As the salad sits, the cucumbers and tomatoes release some juices into the dressing, so don’t forget to spoon extra dressing from the bottom of the salad bowl on top of you chicken — that’s gold! Chicken: This recipe works beautifully for chicken breasts, but you can use chicken thighs. If your chicken breasts are huge, you can use a mallet or rolling pin to pound them to an even thickness, which speeds up the cooking time and produces evener results. That said, I skip this step if I am in a rush! Lemon Dill Marinade: You’ll combine fresh lemon juice with olive oil, garlic, fresh dill, salt, and pepper. It’s so simple and adds so much flavor! If you don’t have dill, use another fresh herb like mint or basil. Just 20 minutes in this marinade will make a difference. Cucumber Feta Salad: The dressing is simple and made with lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and honey. Then, we toss in more fresh dill, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cubes of feta cheese. It’s easy and so delicious! For the cucumbers, I love Hothouse or Persian cucumbers since they have thinner skin and don’t have any seeds. As the salad sits, the cucumbers and tomatoes release some juices into the dressing, so don’t forget to spoon extra dressing from the bottom of the salad bowl on top of you chicken — that’s gold! When you are ready to cook your chicken, remove it from the marinade and pat it dry, which helps get that golden sear. If the chicken were still wet from the marinade, the chicken breasts would steam, not sear. To guarantee juicy, tender chicken, you want to sear your chicken breasts on one side, flip, turn the heat to low, and then cover the skillet with a lid. It’s so easy, and I promise your chicken will turn out juicy, tender, and delicious! Lemon Dill Chicken Breasts PREP 40 mins COOK 20 mins TOTAL 1 hr PREP 40 mins COOK 20 mins TOTAL 1 hr These lemon dill marinated chicken breasts are so juicy and flavorful. We love to serve them next to a quick cucumber, tomato, and feta salad for a fresh and healthy meal. This is also excellent with a spoonful of homemade tzatziki sauce. Just 20 minutes in our lemon dill marinade will add plenty of flavor, but feel free to go longer (up to 6 hours). When you are ready to cook your chicken, remove it from the marinade and pat it dry, which helps get that golden sear. (If the chicken were still wet from the marinade, the chicken breasts would steam, not sear). 2 Servings You Will Need Lemon Dill Chicken Breasts 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 to 8 ounces each 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or other fresh herbs 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of pure honey, depending on how sour lemon is 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or other fresh herbs 2 medium tomatoes, chopped Half of a hothouse or seedless cucumber, chopped 2 ounces feta cheese, cubed Salt and fresh ground black pepper Directions 1Marinate the chicken: Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Use the back of a small spoon to press garlic and dill into other ingredients, releasing more flavor from the dill and garlic. Add marinade to a resealable plastic bag or small-rimmed dish, then add chicken breasts. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours. 2Make cucumber feta salad: Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, honey, and dill in a medium bowl, then add tomatoes, cucumber, and feta cheese. Toss gently, season to taste, then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to a day. 3Cook chicken: Brush the garlic from chicken and pat dry. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium frying pan (with a lid) over medium-high heat. 4When the oil is hot and looks shimmery, add the chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Flip, reduce heat to low then cover with lid. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. 5Transfer chicken to a plate, then cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, slice, and then serve with salad. 1Marinate the chicken: Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Use the back of a small spoon to press garlic and dill into other ingredients, releasing more flavor from the dill and garlic. Add marinade to a resealable plastic bag or small-rimmed dish, then add chicken breasts. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours. 2Make cucumber feta salad: Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, honey, and dill in a medium bowl, then add tomatoes, cucumber, and feta cheese. Toss gently, season to taste, then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to a day. 3Cook chicken: Brush the garlic from chicken and pat dry. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium frying pan (with a lid) over medium-high heat. 4When the oil is hot and looks shimmery, add the chicken. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Flip, reduce heat to low then cover with lid. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. 5Transfer chicken to a plate, then cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, slice, and then serve with salad. Adam and Joanne's Tips The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Calories 421 / Protein 32g / Carbohydrate 15g / Dietary Fiber 2g / Total Sugars 9g / Total Fat 27g / Saturated Fat 7g / Cholesterol 109mg AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? 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