This Lemon Chicken with Thyme makes the perfect weeknight dinner that’s healthy, delicious and easily made with just a few simple ingredients!

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Ever since starting my clean eating plan about five months ago, there is ONE single dish that I literally make once a week (crazy I know).  I’ve shared this on my Instagram numerous times and after countless requests for the recipe, I thought it’s about time I posted it!

This chicken dish is one of my absolute favorites, not only because it tastes delicious (obvi), but because it’s so incredibly healthy!  There is no oil or butter used, simply lemon juice for the coating mixed together with fresh herbs, garlic and sprinkled with just a touch of sea salt.  It’s quick, easy and pairs well with pretty much any side dish.  Only probably is I think my poor boyfriend is absolutely sick of it….I make it. that. much.  I’m also trying to constantly cut sodium out of my diet so instead of adding salt to my veggies for additional flavor, I always spoon the pan juices over top and they’re perfect!!  I usually stick with greens such as asparagus, broccoli or green beans and make sure to make extra because this tastes fabulous the next day!  Meal planning anyone??

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Speaking of meal planning, if you need to make a lot of chicken in a short period of time, feel free to purchase small chicken tenderloins and cook them up in a pan or bake them using this same recipe for the marinade.  I did this while on vacation and everyone ended up eating my food rather than their fried oysters and french fries!

Ok so they ate those too, but this is definitely a winner in my book.

You can also chop up the chicken and use it as the base for your salad, you really won’t even need dressing!  I’m still learning so much with eating clean and I’ll be the first to admit I’m not always perfect (yeah ate some sugar cookies this weekend, oops), but finding those yummy no-fail recipes that you know you can indulge in makes life (and meal prepping) SO much easier.  Feel free to play around with your herbs and spices too, I promise you can’t go wrong – rosemary is my other favorite or even some fresh sage.  Hope this becomes a staple in your home as well!

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You may be asking why I didn’t ask you to marinate the chicken.  To be honest I ALWAYS marinate my chicken no matter what type of sauce or dressing I use, the flavor is just always that much better!  With this dish, however, the lemon was so strong that even just marinating it a few hours made the chicken taste, well, too lemony…for lack of a better word.  So I would just skip this step, which saves you a lot of time anyways making this the perfect week night dish!  I promise you can start and finish this in less than hour while cooking your veggies in between.

You’re welcome.

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Lemon Chicken with Thyme

This Lemon Chicken with Thyme makes the perfect weeknight dinner that’s healthy, delicious and easily made with just a few simple ingredients!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 3 or 4 chicken breasts
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
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Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper; set aside.
  • Place chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour mixture over top, making sure to completely coat them.
  • Bake for about 40 minutes (depending on size of chicken) until juices run clear. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken breast | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.4g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 4g | Fiber: 0.08g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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As a self-proclaimed foodie and fitness enthusiast, I have a passion for cooking and a huge desire to show that living a healthy lifestyle can actually be easy and fun!  Feel free to use the meal guide above to find your new favorite meal ideas or the dietary guides to the right to narrow things down even more!

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