Fresh herbs help get flavorful, crispy chicken on the table in no time
This delicious dish got its start after a long day of carpooling. As I was driving home, I mentally reviewed what was in my house to make for dinner. Beyond the chicken thawing in the refrigerator, the answer was, "Not a lot, Karen. Not a lot."
Fortunately, it was summertime, and my herb garden was flourishing. I grabbed a few handfuls from several plants and created this tasty marinade. Its flavor profile is simple enough that even the pickiest of eaters will love it - yet it's elegant enough that you can serve it for a dinner party. Having your own herb garden, by the way, will save you money, make your food tastier and help you be a happier human.
Don't be intimidated: Herb gardens are far more manageable than vegetable gardens. Herbs can be grown in pots, indoors or outdoors. Caution: once you develop a taste for fresh herbs, there'll be no turning back!
• Karen Nochimowski, the mom behind MommaChef.com, has loved cooking for as long as she can remember. After friends and family begged to be let in on her culinary secrets, she decided to create a blog featuring the easy, quick recipes that everyone loved. All Momma Chef recipes are made with six ingredients or less and take less than 6 minutes of prep time. Karen also started and runs Momma Chef's Soup Kitchen and Momma Chef's Little Free Pantry, which provides food at no cost to those in the Chicago community. Karen's first cookbook, "Six Minute Meals," coming November 2022, is a cookbook of 100 simple and delicious recipes with six ingredients or less, including nut-free and allergy-friendly options, to help busy families get dinner on the table with ease.
Summertime Lemon-Herb Chicken
Juice of 2 lemons (or 1/3 cup lemon juice)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, rosemary, parsley, oregano
2 teaspoons (kosher salt)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, oil, fresh herbs, salt and garlic.
Place the chicken skin side up evenly around a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish and pour the marinade over the chicken (I use disposable gloves and try to stuff some of the marinade under the skin).
You can also slice one of the squeezed lemons and put it around the dish for extra flavor.
Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees (74°C).
If you like crispy skin, broil the chicken for the last 5 minutes until the skin has browned; just keep an eye on the chicken so the skin does not burn.
Serves 6
Note: This recipe is nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, nonfat, sesame-free and egg-free.
Karen Nochimowski