Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Breast
Tender chicken breasts baked in a rich garlic butter sauce with fresh lemon and a melted Parmesan finish -- an easy weeknight dinner in 40 minutes.
Equipment
- Baking dish
- Small mixing bowl
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1.5 lbs total; pounded to even thickness
- 4 garlic cloves freshly minced
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice from about 1 lemon
- 0.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth added around the chicken, not over it
- 0.25 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese added in last 3 to 4 minutes of baking
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and place them in the prepared baking dish. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the minced garlic and dried oregano. Pour the mixture over the chicken, coating each breast well.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top of the chicken. Pour the chicken broth around the breasts -- not over them -- to keep the butter coating intact.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. The tops should be lightly golden and the pan juices should be bubbling around the edges.
- In the last 3 to 4 minutes of baking, sprinkle the freshly grated Parmesan over each breast and return to the oven until the cheese melts. For extra color, broil for 1 to 2 minutes -- watch closely.
- Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Spoon pan juices over the top before serving.
