Food and Recipes Meat Chicken Our Most Delicious Lemon Chicken Recipes Brighten up any poultry dish with a hint of yellow citrus. By Cameron Beall Cameron Beall Cameron Beall is a writer, marketer, photographer, and creative with over a year of experience with Southern Living in the realm of homes and home building. She was infatuated by home design from a young age, credit to her mother and grandmother. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on April 18, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photographer: Alison Miksch / Food Stylist: Melissa Gray / Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman Savory or sweet, a twist of lemon can add brightness to any recipe—transforming it from ho-hum to delicious. As one of the most popular citrus fruits, lemon is found in a variety of recipes, from desserts like lemon bars to zesty vinaigrettes, and of course an array of chicken dishes. It is one of the most popular go-to meats for easy dinners, so what could be more natural and delicious than to combine the two ingredients? Whether you zest it, squeeze it, broil it, or bake it, lemon adds a pop of real flavor magic to chicken soups, chicken salads, and chicken main dishes. If you are having company for Sunday dinner, add a spectacular side dish to one of our roast chicken recipes, and you're ready for the crowd. From grilled wedges juiced over top when serving to fresh squeezed juice or zest in the recipe, you can't go wrong with adding a little citrus to your poultry dish. Check out this lineup of delicious lemon chicken recipes. 01 of 22 Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes Becky Luigart Stayner There are few herbs more delicious with chicken than rosemary. From the fragrance of the rosemary to the flavorful garlic and tangy lemon, there's a reason the dish was nicknamed "Anytime Chicken" by the Test Kitchen. This one-pan dinner will easily become your new go-to supper for weeknights and easy entertaining with friends alike. 02 of 22 Lemon-Dill Chicken Skillet Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis With only five ingredients, this skillet supper relies on the handy-dandy microwave to have dinner on the table in 40 minutes. Par-cooking the potatoes makes for tender spuds without the long roasting time. Garnish with the fresh flavors of lemon juice and dill to serve. 03 of 22 Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata Greg Dupree This on-the-table-in-30 minutes dinner is one that's easy to get excited about. Best of all, it's a one-pot dish, making cleanup a breeze. To help maintain the bold flavor and vivid color from parsley, capers, and lemon juice, wait until the very last minute to add them. 04 of 22 Sheet Pan Greek Chicken with Roasted Potatoes Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos Two unexpected spice shelf staples, cinnamon and nutmeg, give this sheet pan meal extra flavor alongside the roasted potatoes, tomatoes, olives, lemon, and feta. 05 of 22 Lemon Chicken Thighs Photographer: Alison Miksch / Food Stylist: Melissa Gray / Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman This top-rated main dish recipe has a short ingredient list, which means it comes together fast and is ideal for busy weeknights. Pair it with crisp veggies and a side of rice or roasted potatoes for a delicious dinner that your family is sure to love. 06 of 22 Soulful Chicken Soup Iain Bagwell No dish is quite as soothing as a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup and this one lands at the top of our list. Slow cookers couldn't have made the road to comfort any easier: Simply toss in the ingredients, switch it on, then walk away. 07 of 22 One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer You can't go wrong with an easy-cleanup, one-pan dinner and this fresh dish checks all the boxes. Mediterranean-inspired, the bold flavors of green olives, lemon, red onion, and artichokes are bright and tangy. 08 of 22 Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings Caitlin Bensel These five-ingredient lemon pepper chicken wings easily rival the classic, sauce-smothered version. Best of all, there's no deep-frying mess involved. 09 of 22 Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey Though simple and relatively hands-off, this rich and lemony easy chicken dinner will be sure to impress. For extra citrus flavor, add a few additional lemon slices to the pot as it pressure cooks. Serve over pasta, rice, or a la carte with a big salad or veggies. 10 of 22 Lemon-Barbecue Chicken Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Originally hailing from the Southern Living Party Cookbook published in 1972, this crispy skin and bold-flavored dish has remained a fan-favorite to this day with just a few updates. 11 of 22 Lemon Roast Chicken With Rainbow Carrots Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Add colorful, spring vegetables to your whole roast chicken for a tender side that gains all the flavor from the bird's rich juices. If carrots aren't your side of choice, you can easily swap them out for halved new potatoes. 12 of 22 Lemon-Basil Chicken Breast Foil Packets Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Whether you're camping outdoors, at the beach, or looking to make a weeknight super a little more fun—this kid-friendly recipe is the one to turn to. 13 of 22 Roasted Spatchcock Chicken Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Don't be intimidated by the name—this method is actually one of the easiest ways to roast a chicken. It allows the whole bird to cook evenly and quicker resulting in a perfectly tender inside and crisp outside. 14 of 22 Grilled Lemon Chicken with Herb Couscous Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Move aside salt and pepper chicken—we're bringing in lemon, garlic, honey, and Dijon mustard for a flavorful grilled main dish. 15 of 22 Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Jennifer Causey The magic of the instant pot makes this delicious, fall-off-the-bone chicken a weeknight dinner winner. Be sure to use bone-in chicken for the most flavor and top it with the lemon and herb gravy-like sauce to serve. 16 of 22 Roast Chicken Iain Bagwell While we are all for a rotisserie chicken in pinch, this delicious and easy roast chicken with lemon and rosemary recipe makes Sunday dinner a snap. Short on ingredients but full of flavor, even a novice cook can master this dish. 17 of 22 Garlic-Oregano Chicken with Grilled Leeks and Lemon Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely The quick lemon, garlic, oregano, and red pepper marinade gives this chicken its flavor before it even hits the grill. Squeeze grilled lemon halves overtop to finish for an extra tangy, bright note. 18 of 22 Lemon Chicken Soup Recipe Hector Manuel Sanchez Few things are better than a warm bowl of this comforting soup. With all of the same flavors as the classic version, this take brings in lemon, parsley, English peas, and orzo for a refreshing twist. 19 of 22 Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Lemons Hector Manuel Sanchez While we love this lemony chicken, the rich pan sauce is the real star of the show. Sop it up with crusty bread or drizzle over a bed of mashed potatoes. 20 of 22 Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Vegetables Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox The charred lemons release their flavor as the chicken cooks, but the best part is the citrus juice added to the dripping sauce at the end before being poured back over the chicken thighs. 21 of 22 Slow-Cooker Chicken Piccata Hector Manuel Sanchez In traditional form, this dish is tangy and salty thanks to the fresh lemon and flavorful capers. While the slow cooker will do most of the work for you, the secret is first to brown the chicken in a skillet. 22 of 22 Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Lemon zest is the key ingredient to these crispy baked chicken thighs. They're easy enough to pop in the oven on a busy week night, but just as delicious to dress up with the right sides to serve for company. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit