My new rosemary lemon chicken & asparagus dinner will have you dreaming about spring. Because I am dreaming about spring. Because I am so tired of snow and cold weather, of icy roads and sidewalks and oh, my neighborhood street that SO bumpy with snow I honest to God feel like I am 4×4-ing out in the country. I’m going to get whiplash, just you wait and see. We don’t get the roads plowed on residential streets and they are SO inconceivably bad that I am just D-O-N-E with winter. Bah.
How to Make Lemon Chicken
Rosemary lemon chicken and asparagus is a match made in heaven and sometimes I just need to eat out of season. It’s not asparagus season, not even close, but I like to pretend sometimes.I can’t resist the look of them in the store this time of year and while I do have to pay a premium….man, it’s worth it. When you find some asparagus that is so green and crispy it’s like bringing springtime that one step closer. I’m allll about pretending this time of year – like pretending I am at the beach in Mexico. I’m really good at that one. To make the lemon chicken you simply:
- Marinate the chicken in the lemon sauce
- Bake in the oven, then add in the asparagus and baste the chicken
- Cook the chicken until it reaches 165 ° for breast meat or 185 °F for thighs.
Lemon Chicken Sauce Ingredients
This isn’t a super sweet lemon chicken sauce, instead it is a savory one ( which is healthier than a sugar loaded lemon chicken, let’s face it.) All you need is:
- 1/2 cup olive oil I used lemon flavoured for a SUPER lemon boost!
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp minced fresh garlic
- 2 tbsp dried rosemary or 1/3 cup fresh
- 1 tsp sea salt
How do I choose good asparagus?
- Look for firm, bright green stalks. The size doesn’t really matter, but I personally prefer asparagus that is medium thickness.
- The tips should be firm and a bright green or purple hue. This is where they will start to go mushy first!
- The stalks should not bend, they should be snappy and brittle. Bending means they are starting to go.
- Look for clean, non-blemished stalks.
Tips and Tricks for Making Lemon Chicken
- I buy lemon flavoured olive oil and it is the best olive oil ever. Try it with ricotta cheese and bread. You will never eat ricotta plain again, so you don’t have to worry that you won’t up it up.
- I prefer using a pan with sides to make sure all the sauce stays around the chicken but a sheet pan is great.
- The asparagus will over cook if you put it in at the start, so make sure to add it later.
Happy cooking! Who else can’t wait for spring to arrive? If you are looking for more delicious chicken recipes, try my Creamy Garlic Swiss Chard Chicken or my Parmesan Chicken Casserole. Those are family faves!
Love,
Karlynn
Rosemary Lemon Chicken & Asparagus Dinner
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil I used lemon flavoured for a SUPER lemon boost!
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
- 2 tablespoons dried rosemary or 1/3 cup fresh
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3-4 chicken breasts
- 1 pound of fresh asparagus washed and trimmed
- extra sea salt and pepper for serving
Instructions
- Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor – or in a container that you can use a hand blender in- and process until creamy and smooth.
- Place the chicken in a container and using 1/3 of the sauce, baste. Cover the chicken and the remaining sauce and refrigerate for a few hours.
- To cook, preheat your oven to 350 °F.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and place on a large baking sheet or large pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then add the asparagus to the pan. Take the remaining sauce and re-baste the chicken and baste the asparagus as well.
- Cook until the chicken reaches 165 °F.
- Remove and serve!
Michelle L Bilodeau says
Wow! Simple but delicious! What I like most is it’s kidney friendly for those with kidney disease like myself. This I will do frequently.