Main dishes
Oven chicken with herbs and lemon
Four chicken breasts with garlic, thyme, oregano and lemon: a weighed dressing, brief chilled marinade and checked internal temperature.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cuisine
- Home cooking
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
Prepare the dish and weigh
Preheat the oven to 200 °C with conventional top and bottom heat. Set out a dish about 30 × 20 cm, scales and a thermometer. Weigh 800 g raw skinless boneless chicken breast in four pieces of similar thickness. Do not wash the chicken; use separate boards and utensils for raw food. Wash the lemon before squeezing.
Mix the dressing
In a bowl combine 25 g olive oil, 40 g seedless lemon juice, 8 g finely chopped peeled garlic, 1 g dried oregano, 1 g dried thyme, 3 g salt and 0.5 g ground black pepper. Stir with a spoon to distribute the garlic and herbs. No zest, lemon slices or extra quantities are used.
Coat and marinate in the fridge
Put the chicken in a container, add all the dressing and turn with tongs to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate at 4 °C or below for 20 minutes. Do not marinate on the counter. Wash hands, board and utensils that touched raw meat; set aside clean tongs for serving.
Arrange the pieces
Place the four breasts in the dish in a single layer without piling them up, and pour the dressing from the container over them. Put straight into the preheated oven. Dressing that touched raw chicken must cook with it; do not reserve it for serving raw or reuse the unwashed container.
Bake and check doneness
Bake for about 25 minutes at 200 °C. Start checking at 20 minutes: insert a clean thermometer from the side into the centre of the thickest part of each piece. All must reach 74 °C. If one is below this, keep baking and measure again. Meat or juice colour does not replace this check. Add any extra cooking time.
Rest and prepare to serve
Remove the dish with oven gloves and rest the chicken for 5 minutes. Use clean tongs and divide pieces if necessary into four similar servings. The 800 g is raw weight, not a measured cooked yield. Nutrition counts all the dressing as an estimate; any leftovers mean it may not all have been eaten.
Serve and store leftovers
Serve four portions without included sides. The planned 65 minutes comprise 15 preparation, 20 marinating, 25 baking and 5 resting; preheating overlaps preparation and marinating. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32 °C ambient temperature. Store at 4 °C or below and reheat to 74 °C.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
Nutrition facts
One of 4 equal servings
- Protein
- 45.2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 1.8 g
- Fat
- 11.6 g
- Saturated fat
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 0.3 g
- Sugars
- 0.3 g
- Sodium
- 381.8 mg
Estimate, not a laboratory analysis or kitchen test. Brands, leftovers and cooked yield can vary. Calculated from 800 g raw skinless boneless breast and all the dressing. Cooked yield and leftovers have not been measured. No side dish is included.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy (2018)
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
Four chicken breasts with garlic, thyme, oregano and lemon: a weighed dressing, brief chilled marinade and checked internal temperature.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use thighs or a whole chicken?
They need different timings and nutrition. This formula uses 800 g skinless boneless breast; always check 74 °C at the thickest point.
Can I serve the dressing?
Dressing that touched raw chicken goes into the dish and cooks with it. Do not serve it raw or reuse it uncooked.
How do I keep it from drying out?
Choose pieces of similar thickness and start measuring at 20 minutes. Remove when all reach 74 °C; continuing for a fixed extra time can dry them out.
