Sharing yet another sheet pan dinner today that I’m so very excited about. I hesitated to share this recipe, solely for the fact that I don’t love the photos, but one of my goals for the year is to try and let go of having everything perfect…though in my eyes nothing is ever perfect…ever. The truth is, I can often overthink and over complicate things. And you know what I’m realizing? I just don’t have time for that and I have to stop. So much easier said than done, but I really am going to try. This is one step in the right direction. Because even though I don’t love the photos of this chicken, I sure do love the recipe. I mean there’s absolutely nothing not to love about buttery roasted chicken with garlic and lemon. There’s even goat cheese, it’s insanely good.
I’ve had the idea for this chicken for a while now, but it took me a few weeks to fully develop the concept. I knew I really wanted to make roasted chicken, And I knew I wanted there to be garlic and roasted lemon. But I also knew I wanted it to feel fresh and new. There are A LOT of roasted chicken recipes out there. And many are very very similar. I didn’t want this to be just like all the others, so the recipe took a while to get right. But I finally got it right, and I’m finally sharing my go-to chicken dinner. It’s all made simple on one sheet pan. My hope is that this will become a new staple dinner for you all.
Here are the details.
I want you guys to read this closely because while this is a simple recipe, it was a confusing one for me to write out. Start with the chicken. First, I like to use a mix of chicken thighs and skinless chicken breasts. Most of the people I feed regularly prefer chicken breasts, but I like to toss in a couple boneless, skin-on, chicken thighs for added flavor. Use what you like best…all thighs, all breasts, or a mix.
Find yourself a good sheet pan and toss the chicken together with some olive oil, a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, parsley, and oregano. Now, on that same sheet pan add the lemons (one should be cut in half and the other should be sliced) and a handful of whole garlic cloves. Place pats of butter on each piece of chicken. Roast in the oven until the chicken is fully cooked through and the lemons are charring. It’s important to keep an eye on the lemons and garlic towards the end of cooking to ensure neither is burning. If your lemons or your garlic cloves are on the smaller side, they may cook up faster than the chicken, so just keep an eye on things towards the end. That’s part one….
The dressing.
this dressing is extra special. Its main two ingredients are the roasted lemon slices and roast garlic. You use not only the lemon juice, but the lemon rind as well. Yes, I’m about to tell you to chop up the WHOLE lemon, rind and all, and add it to your dressing. I know this seems odd, but roasting the lemon removes any bitterness and makes them extra sweet and tangy. Once the lemon is finely chopped and stirred together with olive oil, parsley, oregano, and basil it’s the perfect marriage of flavors. They make for a vibrant, but also incredibly rich dressing. Next, add the garlic, which adds a subtle, sweet flavor. Then toss in salty olives, for a little bit of a bite. Finally, a splash of fish sauce…only if you enjoy it. Many recipes will use anchovies in their dressing, but I find anchovies a little annoying to work with. Fish sauce works in a pinch (its only ingredients are anchovies, water, and salt).
Finishing it up…
Once the chicken is finished I simply leave it on the sheet pan, remove the lemons and garlic, finish up the dressing, and add chunks of creamy goat cheese to the warm chicken. The cheese will soften as it sits. It’s the perfect creamy ingredient that compliments all the flavors happening here so well. Then spoon the dressing over the chicken and cheese, and serve. And that’s it. It’s not hard or even time consuming, but tricky to write out and explain. I hope this has all made sense! I love serving this with a simple side of rice or creamy orzo pasta. Add a side salad plus crusty bread and dinner is complete. It’s fancy(ish), yet still simple. The chicken is perfectly buttery, herby, and garlicky, and the dressing adds freshness and tang. An all-around great meal and definitely not your average chicken dinner!
If you make this Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
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