Description
This vibrant one-pan Lemon Herb Chicken with Asparagus is spring on a plate! Perfectly seared chicken breasts seasoned with fragrant herbs nestle among bright green asparagus spears, all bathed in a zesty lemon sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s the ideal weeknight dinner that looks and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen. Low-carb, high-protein, and bursting with fresh flavors!
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ lbs)
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh, finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 Tbsp)
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth (or dry white wine)
- 1 lb fresh asparagus, woody ends snapped off
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and crushed rosemary. Season both sides of chicken breasts generously with this mixture, rubbing it in with your hands.
- Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.
- Place chicken breasts smooth-side down in the hot skillet. Let them sear undisturbed for 4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes.
- Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a plate. Reduce heat to medium and add minced garlic to the skillet. Stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth (or wine), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter if using.
- Arrange asparagus in a single layer in the sauce, then place chicken breasts on top of the asparagus. Spoon some sauce over each chicken breast.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and asparagus is tender-crisp.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with extra pan sauce spooned over the chicken and asparagus.
Notes
- For best results, use chicken breasts of similar size. If they’re very thick, consider butterflying or pounding them to an even thickness for more consistent cooking.
- The asparagus should be medium thickness—too thin and they’ll overcook, too thick and they might be underdone when the chicken is ready.
- Don’t skip patting the chicken dry—this ensures you’ll get that beautiful golden sear.
- This dish reheats well but the asparagus will be softer when reheated.
- For a dairy-free version, simply omit the butter or substitute with a plant-based alternative.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop and Oven
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with ¼ of asparagus
- Calories: 280 calories
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 310mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 95mg