Make this delicious and super easy Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade with 5 ingredients in 5 minutes! This is my absolute favorite marinade and number one 'go to' recipe for chicken on busy weeknights and for summertime picnics! It's a recipe everyone loves!
Talk about next level flavor! You have no idea how delicious the combination of lemon pepper, garlic, and soy sauce is! As a bonus, this marinated lemon pepper chicken tastes just as good when cooked in the oven as it does on the grill! 🙌
I've been making this marinade for over 10 years and in my opinion, there is no need to make a homemade lemon pepper seasoning because of how good some of the store-bought seasonings are. See the 'Ingredient Notes's section below for my favorite seasoning blends.
And just like Air Fryer BBQ Chicken, this lemon pepper chicken is a big hit with the whole family, even kids! In fact, this is my youngest daughter's absolute favorite dinner!
Serve this lemon pepper marinated chicken with homemade guacamole and chips, kale salad, and pasta salad. It's the perfect protein to go with pretty much any side!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I love to host and I love to cook. In order to enjoy having company while not being distracted by food prep and 'hands-on' cooking, I need to keep things simple and, of course, delicious!
- Simple Ingredients This is a simple recipe made with simple ingredients that can be found in the grocery store.
- Quick and Easy Recipe Get incredible lemon flavor without having to buy fresh lemons. That's right, you can get delicious lemon flavor without lemon zest or juice. Just mix the ingredients together, add chicken, and marinate. You'll have the most delicious juicy chicken ready in no time.
- Kid-Approved Get ready to add this to the top of your list for easy chicken recipes. This lemon pepper chicken has received rave reviews from kids of all ages, even teenagers!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Good source of protein. I use thin-sliced chicken breasts because they absorb more marinade and are quicker to cook. Boneless skinless chicken breasts and chicken thighs also work well but may take longer to cook.
- Less-Sodium Soy Sauce For a savory flavor. Coconut aminos also work well in this recipe. Coconut aminos will produce a sweeter (but still delicious) flavor.
- Lemon-Pepper Seasoning This seasoning blend can be found in just about every grocery store. I've used Trader Joe's lemon pepper grinder and Watkins ground lemon pepper seasoning blend. Both added amazing lemon pepper flavor. Using a grinder takes more work, but the plus side is that it gives more of a freshly ground pepper flavor.
- Garlic Use fresh garlic. Garlic contains prebiotics. Prebiotics are good for gut health.
- Olive Oil I use extra virgin olive oil when I cook this chicken in the oven or avocado oil when I cook it on the grill because avocado oil is considered a high-smoke point oil. Avocado oil and olive oil are rich in monounsaturated fats.
- Water Cost saving! Do you have any idea how much we spend on products (like marinades and dressings) that are made with a lot of water? A lot!
How to Make This Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade
Here is a summary of how to make the best lemon pepper chicken marinade. For a complete list of ingredients and specific instructions for how to cook the marinated chicken, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Mix all the listed ingredients in a large resealable bag or shallow dish. I use a gallon-sized zip-lock bag.
- Place chicken in marinade. The marinade should completely cover all of the pieces of chicken. Seal the bag or, if using a shallow dish, cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate as it marinates.
- Refrigerate marinated chicken for two hours before cooking it.
How to Make This Marinated Chicken Recipe in an Oven
- Place the marinated chicken pieces on a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish in a single layer. Discard the marinade. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
What to Serve with This Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe
Can be used to top salads or pair with a simple veggie side. It's so versatile!
Dietitian Tip
By law, hormones are not allowed in raising poultry. So, there's no need to spend extra money at the grocery store for chicken with "no added hormones" on the label.
In fact, adding hormones to chicken has been banned in the US since the 1950's.
Helpful Tips
- Chicken thighs are not as lean as chicken breasts, but they are often less expensive, and some prefer to cook with them.
- Use any cut of chicken. The chicken pieces should have an even thickness.
- I suggest using thin-sliced chicken breast, chicken thighs, or a combination. I have found that not only do they cook quicker (than standard chicken breast) but they also cook more evenly.
- You can make this with chicken tenderloins but you will have to adjust the cooking time because they cook faster.
- Coconut aminos can be used in place of soy sauce. It is lower in sodium than less-sodium soy sauce (it is still not considered "low sodium") and it's soy free and gluten free. It does have a sweeter taste, so the marinade will taste different but still good.
- Lemon pepper seasoning is sometimes easier to measure by the tablespoon. Thankfully it's easy to convert tablespoons to cups and cups to tablespoons to make measuring ingredients easier.
- The best way to tell when chicken is done cooking is by using an instant-read digital meat thermometer. Cooked chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Avoid overcooking chicken. Overcooked chicken is tough to chew.
- If you don't have time to let the chicken marinate, you can cook the chicken in the marinade (in the oven, not the grill). I did this the last time my daughter me to make her "favorite chicken." The flavors weren't as deep as if they had been marinated, but it still tasted great! 😅
- Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Questions You May Have
Yes, I have made this lemon pepper chicken recipe on the grill and in the oven.
First clean and oil the grates, then heat grill to medium-high heat.
Once hot, place chicken over direct heat and grill for about 6-8 minutes.
Flip and move to indirect heat (not directly over fire/coals) and cook until an inserted instant-read thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees (about 6-12 minutes depending on thickness of chicken breast).
Marinade chicken in this marinade for 30 minutes to 2 hours. I don't suggest marinating chicken in this marinade for more than 2 hours.
This recipe uses lemon pepper seasoning blend that is made with lemon juice powder and lemon peel (per the ingredient list), not fresh lemon juice or zest.
If you'd like to add fresh lemon, top the marinated pieces of chicken with thin fresh lemon slices as it bakes. Personally, I don't think it's necessary, but feel free to make it your own 🙂
More Easy Dinner Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
Lemon Pepper Marinade Marinade
- ⅔ cup water
- ½ cup less-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- ⅓ cup olive oil extra virgin. can use avocado oil instead.
- 4 tablespoon or ¼ cup of lemon pepper seasoning
- 4 garlic cloves minced
Chicken
- 2.5 pounds chicken thin sliced chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken tenders.
Instructions
How to Make the Lemon Pepper Marinade
- Add water, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon pepper, and minced garlic to a shallow dish or large resealable bag. Mix well.⅔ cup water, ½ cup less-sodium soy sauce, ⅓ cup olive oil, 4 tablespoon or ¼ cup of lemon pepper seasoning, 4 garlic cloves
- Place chicken in the marinade, making sure all of the chicken is coated by the marinade.
- If using a bowl to marinate, cover the bowl before placing it in the refrigerator.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on an oven-safe rimmed sheet pan or baking dish.
- Cook chicken in the oven for 22-25 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit.
Grilling Instructions
- First clean and oil the grates.
- Heat grill to medium-high heat.
- Once hot, place chicken over direct heat and grill for about 6-8 minutes.
- Flip and move to indirect heat (not directly over fire/coals) and cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° (about 6-12 minutes depending on thickness of chicken breast).
Notes
- Full-sized chicken breasts may take longer to cook, closer to 30 minutes.
- Chicken tenders will cook faster, closer to 20 minutes.
- There are 4 tablespoons in ¼ of a cup; use either as a reference for measuring the lemon pepper.
- Use any cut of chicken. The chicken pieces should have an even thickness.
- I suggest using thin-sliced chicken breast, chicken thighs, or a combination. I have found that not only do they cook quicker (than standard chicken breast) but they also cook more evenly.
- Regular sized chicken breasts may take closer to 30 minutes to cook, while small chicken tenderloin pieces can cook in 20 minutes.
- Coconut aminos can be used in place of soy sauce. It is lower in sodium than less-sodium soy sauce (it is still not considered "low sodium"). It's also soy free and gluten free. It does have a sweeter taste, so the marinade will taste different but still good.
- Lemon pepper seasoning is sometimes easier to measure by the tablespoon. Thankfully it's easy to convert tablespoons to cups and cups to tablespoons to make measuring ingredients easier.
- The best way to tell when chicken is done cooking is by using an instant-read digital meat thermometer. Cooked chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Avoid overcooking chicken. Overcooked chicken is tough to chew.
- If you don't have time to let the chicken marinate, you can cook the chicken in the marinade (in the oven, not the grill). I did this the last time my daughter me to make her "favorite chicken." The flavors weren't as deep as if they had been marinated, but it still tasted great! 😅
- Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Rhonda says
This is our family new fav recipe! I even made it, added the thighs and then froze the whole bag for camping trip! So tender, light and fresh tasting! Thanks for sharing recipes!!
Kristi Ruth RD says
Yay! Genius idea to freeze the whole bag for camping!
Dani Hollingsworth says
Yummm..always looking for a good, fast marinade❤️