Ina Garten lemon chicken breasts from Barefoot Contessa bake skin-on breasts over a sauce of garlic, white wine, lemon zest, and oregano at 400°F. And the dish serves 4 at approximately 420 calories per serving in about 50 minutes, since the sauce comes together on the stovetop in under 5 before the chicken goes in.
Most lemon chicken recipes marinate the meat or pour the sauce over the top, but Ina builds the sauce in the baking dish first and sets the breasts skin-side up on top. So the skin stays dry and exposed to the oven heat, which means it crisps while the underside absorbs the garlic and lemon from below.
Warming the garlic in olive oil for just 1 minute without letting it brown is the step that releases the flavor without turning it bitter. And if the garlic darkens before the wine goes in, that burnt taste bakes into the sauce for the full 30 to 40 minutes and nothing can fix it.
Source: Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)
Ina Garten Lemon Chicken Breasts
Course: ChickenCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes40
minutes420
kcalWarmed garlic, white wine, lemon zest, juice, oregano, and thyme pour into a baking dish before skin-on breasts sit on top brushed with oil and seasoned. Then lemon wedges tuck around the chicken and 30 to 40 minutes at 400°F crisps the skin while the sauce builds underneath.
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
- For the chicken:
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
Olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
Directions
- Preheat the oven: Heat to 400°F.
- Warm the garlic: Then heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low and cook the garlic for just 1 minute without browning.
- Build the sauce: Once fragrant, remove from the heat and add the wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Pour into the dish: Then pour the sauce into a 9×12 inch baking dish.
- Prep the chicken: Once the sauce is in, pat the breasts dry and place them skin-side up over the sauce.
- Season the tops: Then brush the skin with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Add the lemon wedges: Once seasoned, tuck the 8 lemon wedges around and between the chicken pieces.
- Bake the chicken: Then bake for 30 to 40 minutes depending on size until done and the skin is lightly browned.
- Broil if needed: If the skin is not browned enough after baking, place under the broiler for 2 minutes.
- Rest before serving: Then cover the pan tightly with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve: Once rested, sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices spooned over.
FAQs
Why does the recipe call for skin-on boneless breasts?
The skin protects the meat from the direct oven heat and bastes it with rendered fat as it crisps. And without the skin, the exposed surface dries out during 30 to 40 minutes at 400°F, because boneless breasts have no bone to insulate them either.
But if you can only find skinless breasts, brush them generously with olive oil and reduce the bake time by 5 to 8 minutes. Since the sauce underneath keeps the bottom moist, the top is the only surface at risk, so extra oil compensates for the missing skin barrier.
What kind of white wine works in the sauce?
Only 1/3 cup goes in, so any dry white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc works without overpowering the lemon and garlic. And the wine cooks off during 30 to 40 minutes of baking, so what remains is the acidity and depth, not the alcohol.
But avoid sweet wines or cooking wine, because the sugar caramelizes in the hot dish and the added sodium in cooking wine clashes with the teaspoon of salt already in the sauce. And dry vermouth swaps in well since it lasts months after opening in the pantry.
Can I use bone-in breasts instead of boneless?
Bone-in breasts take longer to cook through, so add 10 to 15 extra minutes to the bake time and check with a thermometer at 165°F. And the bone insulates the meat from below, which actually keeps the breast juicier during the longer cook.
But the sauce underneath may reduce more during the extended time, so check at the 30-minute mark and add a splash of wine or broth if the dish looks dry. Since the ina garten chicken chili also roasts bone-in breasts at 350°F, the principle is the same: bone-in needs more time but rewards you with juicier meat.
What should I serve alongside this chicken?
Rice or orzo soaks up the garlic and lemon pan juices well, and the ina garten orzo with roasted vegetables makes a natural Barefoot Contessa pairing since both dishes share a lemon-forward profile. And roasted asparagus or steamed green beans add color without competing with the sauce.
But skip heavy cream-based sides, because the bright acidity of the pan juices is the whole point of this dish. And crusty bread works if you want something simpler, since it soaks up every drop of the garlic wine sauce at the bottom of the dish.
How should I store and reheat leftovers?
Store the chicken and pan juices together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, since the sauce keeps the meat moist. Then reheat in a covered baking dish at 350°F for about 15 minutes until warmed through.
But the crispy skin softens in storage, so a quick uncovered minute under the broiler after reheating brings some of that texture back. And avoid the microwave, because it heats the thin breast unevenly and the lemon sauce splatters without a proper cover.
