Quick Lemon Chicken Recipe with Rice

Here's an easy lemon chicken recipe that's ready in no time. This delicious and quick lemon chicken is perfect for dinner and meal prep. 

One can never have enough chicken recipes, right? You can make chicken so many different ways and enjoy unique flavors with recipes such as Mediterranean chicken, Moroccan chicken or Greek chicken souvlaki. This lemon chicken recipe is another favorite chicken recipe of ours that's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner! 

This post has been sponsored by Success® Rice. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An easy and quick dinner recipe

Have you ever come home from a long day and look into the fridge and find nothing interesting to make dinner? If so, this recipe is for you! This pan seared garlic lemon chicken recipe is so simple to make and jam-packed with flavor. Kids devour it and adults can't have enough. 

What I love about this chicken recipe is that it doesn't require a lot of steps and the best part is that you can easily turn it into a complete meal by serving it with Success® Basmati Rice which you can get at Kroger. Success Basmati Rice offers a no measure, no mess, boil-in-bag rice that is ready in 10 minutes. The bag is BPA-free and makes perfect rice every time. 

Ingredients to make this garlic lemon chicken recipe

Easy dinners that call for a few ingredients are among my favorite recipes, and this lemon chicken recipe is one of those. You probably have all the ingredients ready on hand for this easy chicken recipe:

• Chicken breast
• Spices: salt, oregano, paprika
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil 
• Success Basmati Rice
• Parsley

These are all you need to make a tasty and flavorful dinner. I got all my ingredients from Kroger, it's very easy to shop at Kroger and the ingredients are always fresh and of high quality. 

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Cutting the chicken breast

If the chicken breast is quite thick, cut it in half lengthwise to make sure it absorbs the flavors well and also cooks evenly. Since we want to sear the chicken in a pan, it's best that the chicken is evenly thick.

How to make lemon chicken 

• Lemon chicken marinade: In a large bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, oregano, garlic and salt. Place the chicken breast in the marinade and flip to make sure all pieces are marinated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
• Sear the chicken breast: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sear the chicken breast on one side for about 4 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for another 4 minutes until it's completely cooked (the inner temperature should register at 165°F).
• Make the rice and serve: Fill a sauce pan with 4 cups water. Place one bag of Success Basmati Rice in the water and bring it to boil. Cook for 10 minutes and then take the bag out of the boiling water. Transfer the rice into a bowl and fluff using a fork. Mix the rice with freshly chopped parsley, lemon juice and salt. Serve with seared lemon chicken. 

Baked lemon chicken breast 

You can also make baked lemon chicken. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and coat a baking dish with non stick spray. Place the marinated chicken breasts in the pan and bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Since the chicken breasts are not too thick, they won't take long to cook. Check the chicken after 20 minutes to see if it's ready to serve. The chicken is ready when the juice runs clear and the internal temperature registers at 165°F on an instant thermometer. 

What do you serve lemon chicken with 

As I mentioned above, I served this chicken dinner with Success Basmati Rice. You can also add sauteed vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and/or corn. A fresh salad such as our Mediterranean salad would be a great side dish as well.

A little note: You can also serve this lemon chicken breast with Success® Jasmine Rice or Success® Quinoa as well. 

Other additions to this pan seared lemon chicken recipe

This is a simple chicken recipe that's packed with so much flavor thanks to fresh lemon juice, garlic and spices. However, you can add other ingredients to the pan to cook alongside the chicken such as: 

• Carrots
• Broccoli 
• Cauliflower
• Green beans
• Mushrooms

Can I freeze cooked chicken?

It's best not to freeze cooked chicken since it won't have the exact same fresh flavor and texture after it's thawed. However, you can definitely freeze marinated chicken. You can marinate the chicken and then transfer it into a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to cook the chicken, thaw it in the fridge overnight and follow the cooking instructions.