I am not exaggerating when I say I was licking my fingers while eating this baked lemon pepper chicken. Not only is the chicken juicy and fall-off-the-bone tender, it's then doused with a garlic butter spread that is truly on another level of incredible. I'm biased, but this may be the best chicken recipe I've ever made.
I don't do boring food. I just can't. This recipe isn't just a standard chicken breast marinaded in oil and lemon pepper seasoning. We take whole chicken leg quarters, slather them with oil and seasoning, bake, then give each piece a generous spread of melted butter mixed with garlic and chopped parsley. The result? There won't be leftovers.
TL; DR Summary - Lemon Pepper Chicken
- 👩🏼🍳 Cook Level: Easy/Beginner
- ⏱️ Cook Time: 1 hour
- 🗝️ Key Ingredients: Chicken leg quarters (drumstick and thigh attached), olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, garlic, butter, parsley
- 📖 Dietary Info: Dairy, nightshades (peppers)
- 😋 Taste: Buttery, salty, savory, acidic, sharp
- 💖 Why You'll Love: This chicken recipe beats all other recipes with the most robust flavor with tender and juicy chicken, dripping in a warm garlic butter dredge after it bakes.
- 🍽️ Best Served With: Garlic herb mashed potatoes are a no brainer here, but you can also do herb roasted baby potatoes, air fryer parmesan asparagus or air fryer broccoli with parmesan. For a lighter meal, make my shaved Brussels sprouts salad on the side.
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Jump to:
- TL; DR Summary - Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Quarters Tips and Tricks
- Key Ingredients
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Swaps and Substitutions
- Make it Meal Prep Friendly!
- How to make baked lemon pepper chicken quarters
- Mistakes I've Made (so YOU don't have to!)
- Lemon Pepper Chicken FAQs
- Check out these other incredibly simple chicken recipes
- Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken (with Garlic Butter)
Lemon Pepper Chicken Quarters Tips and Tricks
- Pat dry your chicken as best as you can so that the olive oil and seasoning stick really well to the chicken. DO NOT RINSE THE CHICKEN.
- A tip that I've begun to follow pretty religiously in my cooking is trimming some of the skin off of the chicken. I do this because I don't typically love chicken skin, and less of it gives more surface area for the chicken to absorb the oil and seasoning.
- Bring the chicken leg quarters to room temperature before marinading and/or baking. In my experience, I find that this really does make a difference with the flavor and overall juiciness of the chicken.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Leg Quarters: The main protein, providing juicy dark meat and flavorful chicken that pairs well with lemon pepper seasoning.
- Olive Oil: Helps the seasoning coat the chicken evenly and promotes crispy, golden-brown skin as it cooks.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Adds bright lemon flavor, peppery heat, and savory seasoning to the chicken.
- Butter: Creates a rich, smooth base for the garlic butter topping and adds flavor to the finished chicken.
- Garlic: Adds a savory, aromatic flavor to the melted butter, making the flavor of the chicken more complex.
- Parsley: Adds fresh, herbaceous flavor and a pop of color when spread on top of the chicken after it bakes.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Swaps and Substitutions
- You can use simply chicken thighs or drumsticks instead of the quarters together if that's easier for you. I recommend sticking with bone-in chicken as I find that this consistently has better flavor and doesn't dry out as quickly as chicken breast or boneless chicken parts do.
- The garlic butter is optional, but HIGHLY ENCOURAGED. Trust me, it just elevates the flavors to another level.
- If you don't have a lemon pepper seasoning, you can make with cracked black pepper, lemon zest, salt, and a little garlic powder, about ½ to 1 teaspoon of each.
Make it Meal Prep Friendly!
I love these types of sheet pan chicken recipes because they are very meal prep friendly. You can prep these for the week on a Sunday, and reheat throughout the week.
One of my other favorite meal prep/meal planning tips with these lemon pepper chicken leg quarters is to use the leftovers in chicken salad sandwiches, classic salads, or tossed in a sauce and thrown over pasta.
How to make baked lemon pepper chicken quarters
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400º. Pat dry the chicken and throw into a large mixing bowl. Coat the chicken with a generous amount of olive oil, then add in the lemon zest, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion salt.
Step 2: Toss to combine and place on the baking sheet, then bake for 55 minutes. 10 minutes before the chicken finishes cooking, melt the butter, then add in the garlic and parsley. Stir to combine. Once the chicken comes out of the oven, brush the garlic butter atop the chicken, then serve.
Mistakes I've Made (so YOU don't have to!)
- Don't forget to let the chicken marinade for a little while in the lemon pepper seasoning and olive oil. You want to have as much flavor as possible, and letting the chicken leg quarters sit in the seasoning will help build that flavor. Better yet, let it sit overnight.
- Do not melt the butter until you are absolutely ready to use it. It will harden if it's left out, especially while the chicken cooks. I was all excited to make this recipe that I melted the butter an hour earlier, and it hardened. Give yourself time to let the chicken cook, and then 10 minutes before the chicken is ready to be removed from the oven, you can melt the butter.
Lemon Pepper Chicken FAQs
I always suggest reheating on a low temperature oven, tented with aluminum foil so that it does not dry out. I'd suggest a 325º oven for 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Yes, you can use different parts of the chicken for this recipe, however, I always recommend baking chicken with the bone-in. Boneless chicken tends to dry out quickly when baked, especially chicken breast. If you do plan to use boneless chicken, it'll cook for half the time (about 20-25 minutes), so be mindful of adjusting the timing in the recipe card.
Absolutely! Marinade the chicken ahead of time, then toss in a plastic food storage bag, zipped tight with as much oxygen removed from the bag. Lay flat in the freezer, labeled with the contents and the date and cooking instructions. I'd also suggest letting the chicken thaw on the counter or in the fridge overnight before baking.
Check out these other incredibly simple chicken recipes
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Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken (with Garlic Butter)
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Leg Quarters pat dried
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
Garlic Butter topping:
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 sprigs parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Pat dry the chicken and throw into a large mixing bowl.
- Coat the chicken with a generous amount of olive oil, then add in the lemon zest, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, onion salt. Toss to combine and place on the baking sheet.
- Top each piece of chicken with a slice of lemon, then bake for 55 minutes.
- 10 minutes before the chicken finishes cooking, melt the butter, then add in the garlic and parsley. Stir to combine.
- Once the chicken comes out of the oven, drizzle the garlic butter atop the chicken, then serve.
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