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Lemon pepper chicken breasts are one of the easiest ways to get a flavorful chicken dinner on the table fast. Only a few ingredients add great flavor to boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and dinner can be ready in less than 30 minutes, which is a big old selling point.
I like to serve these lemon pepper chicken breasts sliced. They go beautifully with Roasted Carrots with Creamy Cilantro Sauce and a simple spinach salad (the Spinach Salad with Roasted Fennel would be great). For a starch, you could go for anything from simple quinoa to Bulgur Wheat with Caramelized Onions and Parsley.
Leftover lemon pepper chicken is great to use in wraps, sliced for sandwiches, or cubed and tossed into soups (perfect for Avgolemono Soup).
Easy Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts: The classic lemon pepper spice blend mixed with handful of pantry ingredients makes a great quick weeknight chicken breast dinner.
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Ingredients
Just a handful of ingredients turn chicken breasts into the easiest dinner.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Brown sugar – Adds a hint of sweetness to balance the spicy pepperiness. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Lemon pepper seasoning – I prefer to use salt-free lemon pepper seasoning and add my own salt, so the level of salt is up to me!
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper – If you want more heat, add more than a pinch!
- Unsalted butter – Melted butter allows you to make the spice blend into a little sauce which gets brushed onto the chicken before baking. It adds flavor and helps keep the chicken moist as it broils.
What Is Lemon Pepper?
Lemon pepper is basically a combination of finely grated and minced lemon zest and ground pepper. The crushed peppercorns help release the natural oils in the lemon zest, creating a burst of flavor in this blend.
Fact is, though, many blends do contain additional ingredients. Many contain salt, so you’ll want to adjust any additional salt to your recipe with that in mind. Other ingredients that might be part of a blend are citric acid, lemon oil, garlic, sugar, and possibly some anti-clumping ingredients and coloring. If you are a spice purist, be sure to take a close look at the ingredients and find a brand that meets your comfort level with additives.
When I was a wee lass, we always had lemon pepper in the spice cabinet. It was one of the basics, but at the time, kind of a new hip classic, right next to the basil and the oregano, the cinnamon, and the ginger. A total staple, as were lemon pepper chicken breasts, the most common way to make use of this assertive spice blend. It was a real thing in the 80s, and it stands up today.
Variations and Tips
- This recipe is for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can definitely use it on skin-on, bone-in pieces of chicken. Roast bone-in chicken instead of broiling it to avoid burning it. Bone-in chicken breasts or thighs will take about 40 minutes in a 400-degree oven, depending on their size.
- You can also cook these chicken breasts in an air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees and cook them for 10 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. ou can follow the instructions for Lemon Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Breasts.
- Line the pan with oil or parchment paper before adding the chicken for easy cleanup.
How to Make Easy Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts
- Preheat the broiler: Line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, lemon pepper, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.
- Prepare the chicken: Brush the chicken with the butter mixture.
- Cook the chicken: Broil for about 5 minutes until the top is starting to turn golden brown, then flip the chicken and broil the other side for 5 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Let sit for a couple of minutes and slice.
What to Serve With Easy Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts
Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash
Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Pasta Aglio e Olio
More Chicken Breast Recipes
- Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet
- Chicken and Tomato with Leek Pan Sauce and Jasmine Rice
- Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lime, Roasted Garlic, and Fresh Herb Marinade
- Crispy Chicken Strips with Apricot Mustard Dipping Sauce
- Chicken With White Wine, Leek, Spinach, and Arugula Pan Sauce
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Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt-free lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler. Line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, lemon pepper, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.
- Brush the chicken with the butter mixture. Broil for about 5 minutes until the top is starting to turn golden brown, then flip the chicken and broil the other side for 5 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
- Let the chicken sit for a couple of minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
- This recipe is for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can definitely use it on skin-on, bone-in pieces of chicken. Roast bone-in chicken instead of broiling it to avoid burning it. Bone-in chicken breasts or thighs will take about 40 minutes in a 400-degree oven, depending on their size.
- You can also cook these chicken breasts in an air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees and cook them for 10 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature). You can follow the instructions for Lemon Garlic Air Fryer Chicken Breasts.
- Line the pan with oil or parchment paper before adding the chicken for easy cleanup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Was I supposed to filet the breasts before I broiled them? I put the chicken breasts in the oven to broil without filleting and they came out very dry and it took much longer to cook.
these days chicken breasts range SO much in size. each chicken breast should be no larger than 8 ounces for this recipe, and if they are larger or very thick (as some are!) then yes, filet them horizontally first.