Sunday, February 2, 2014

Chicken With Lemon & Green Onion Sauce


Time to take a break from the sweets and carbs. :) This week's recipe is easy, delicious, and a lighter dish.  I found this gem one day when I was searching for something to make for supper.  I was going to make something with chicken but didn't want the usual fried chicken, Parmesan chicken, chicken casserole, etc.  So I typed "chicken recipe" or something into Google and quickly found this.  This one stood out because the photo accompanying it looked fabulous and all of the ingredients are basic and on-hand in most kitchens.  This dish also only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish!  

You will start off with 4 boneless chicken breasts; trim any fat off of them.  The final product of this chicken is not supposed to be very thick.  You can buy chicken breasts cut thin (I think they're called "cutlets"?) but if you have the regular size, just make sure you hold them up on one side and slice down the middle to make two thinner chicken slices.  It's also a good idea to put the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat tenderizer.  This will not only help to flatten them out, it also makes them a little juicier and more tender once they have cooked.  

Prepping the chicken for the oven is very simple. Just brush oil on them and rub with salt and pepper.  You can cook these on a broiler pan (as the recipe will say) or just on a regular foil-lined cookie sheet.  I actually just realized for the first time today that the recipe says to cook them on a broiler pan - I've always used a cookie sheet. :)






Pop them in an oven that has been heated to 350 degrees.  They will only take about 15 minutes max. to cook so as soon as they are in the oven, you can begin making the sauce.  

This is the most fun part of the whole recipe because you get to do a lot of chopping here! You will chop up the green onions, parsley, and garlic. (It's totally fine to use either fresh or dried parsley.)  Then add in the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix it all up.  At this point, you'll have a beautiful bowl of seasoning to take this chicken to the next level.




But wait!  We must never, ever forget the butter - it's what makes this sauce saucy after all. :)  Melt the butter on high heat in a sauce pan and stir in the seasonings.  Once that boils, let it simmer about 30 seconds and then remove from the heat.  

By now, the chicken will be practically finished. When there is only 1 minutes left of cooking time, take the chicken out of the oven and spoon a bit of the sauce over each piece of chicken.  Place back in oven for 1 minute.




And that's it!  The chicken is now ready to be served.  



This is super easy and great for a night when you need supper fast. This recipe is a staple in my kitchen and I hope it will be one in yours as well.  It is a rather versatile dish and can be paired with many different side dishes.  Enjoy! 


What side dish(es) will you pair with this?  Let me know in the comments section below!


Chicken with Lemon & Green Onion Sauce

4 boneless chicken breast halves
4 tblsp. butter
1 1/2 tblsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder)
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp. dried parsley)
salt
black pepper
olive or canola oil

(1) Preheat oven to 350.  Line a broiler pan with foil and oil the rack.

(2) Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness. Brush with olive oil and rub with salt & pepper.  Arrange on pan and place in oven 12-15 minutes.  Turn over halfway through cooking time.

(3) Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 seconds.

(4)  Drizzle each chicken breast with 1 teaspoon of sauce 1 minute before cooking time finishes.  Serve chicken with the remaining sauce.  

(5) Eat up! :)