Best Weeknight Chicken Ever
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I wanted to call this recipe “Barely a Recipe Chicken,” but thought it sounded too vague. So, I’ve settled on “Best Weeknight Chicken Ever” because that’s kind of how it functions for me.
There’s nearly always a package of bone-in chicken breasts in my freezer, and when I think of dinner early enough in the day and I draw a complete blank, I reach for the bone-in breasts.
They usually defrost in a few hours, first on the countertop, then into the refrigerator as soon as the real thaw begins. (I’m aware of all the cautions against counter-thawing. But I’d venture to say no one’s ever gotten sick off my defrosting techniques, and as long as they’re not out TOO long . . .)
The no recipe part
I’m writing up a “recipe” for these, although it feels like kind of a joke. No recipe needed. Still, see below. It’ll help your first time out.
Any time you come up with something that’s so good, family, friends, everyone raves, you know you’ve struck it. And when the prep for a “recipe” is under five minutes and everyone raves, you’ve got a platinum winner.
Here’s the other thing I love about this recipe: It goes perfectly with absolutely anything. Left-over salad, salad made with odds and ends from the crisper drawer, any cruciferous vegetable, carrots . . . you get it.
And if you’ve followed my blog on resistant starch, you’ll see the value of make-ahead rice, pasta, and potatoes to lower the starch’s glycemic load. So, brown rice, quinoa, potatoes. Or, better yet, try my Absolutely the Best Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, our favorite side. You can even cook them together, on the same sheet pan.
Quality counts
Free-range chicken breasts, organic or premium brands of bone-in breasts do taste different. I’ll attest to that. So when they’re on sale, I stock up. But whether or not yours are free-range or everyday bone-in, carry on. No one but you will know the difference once you doctor them with this easy no-recipe recipe.
Olive oil could be a whole category on its own. There are peppery, fruity, light, rich, etc., olive oils. I have a favorite, mainly because it’s good enough to dip crispy ciabatta in, cook with and even bake with. But whatever your favorite, go with something you consider “good.”
And then there’s the Lemon Pepper. Again, I have a favorite because it’s just so peppery and tangy and fresh-tasting all at the same time. And my version eliminates the need for salting the breasts as it’s already in there.
Enough talk. Devote a full five minutes to prepping tonight’s dinner. Then, sit back and let the smell of beautifully roasting chicken breasts overtake you as you put your feet up. Await the raves!
Best Weeknight Chicken Ever
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts (try to use breasts of roughly the same size)
- olive oil
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning (it's worth buying a premium brand)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line a sheet pan large enough that there's room around each breast, with foil.
- Set breasts on foil. Pour enough olive oil over the top of each breast so it's lightly coated.
- Shake Lemon Pepper all over the top of all chicken breasts. The trick is not to use it as seasoning but more as a coating – so shake away. Most of it will stick, thanks to the olive oil coating. You should hardly see the top of the chicken if you've shaken liberally enough.
- Place baking sheet onto center rack of hot oven. Bake for anywhere from 40-60 minutes until done. If you like to check for doneness with a thermometer, it should reach 165° in the center, not touching bone.
