This juicy lemon rosemary chicken with lemony mustard garlic sauce is an easy-but-fancy weeknight dinner. It’s packed with flavor, crispy on the outside, and perfectly tender on the inside for the ultimate bite!
When you’re looking for a dinner that’s equal parts simple and impressive, this lemon rosemary chicken checks every box. With its bold mustard kick and zesty lemon, it’s a baked chicken dish that feels fancy without any fuss. Why? The buttery mixture with hints of paprika and spicy red pepper flakes just needs to be poured over the chicken and left to infuse in the oven. Once golden and perfectly juicy, it’s loaded with fragrant Mediterranean charm that’s begging you to dig in.
Why I Love This Lemon Rosemary Chicken
If simple chicken dinners are your thing, this garlicky lemon-rosemary chicken will be a great addition to your weekly meal rotation.
- Beginner-friendly. All you need to do is whisk the lemon-rosemary mixture, pour it over the chicken, and the oven will do the rest.
- Perfect for gatherings. This effortless chicken dinner is great for entertaining because you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen.
- Mediterranean-inspired. Stone-ground mustard, lemon juice, butter, garlic, and rosemary are classic ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine.
What You’ll Need
Bright, tangy lemon juice and aromatic rosemary form the heart of this dish. The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains exact amounts and measurements.
- Bone-in chicken thighs – They should be skin-on and roughly the same size for even cooking.
- Stone-ground mustard – This has bits of mustard in it for a spicier bite. It’s not the same as Dijon or yellow mustard.
- Lemon juice – Microwave the lemons for 20-30 seconds so that they soften before squeezing and release more juice.
- Olive oil – You can also use avocado, corn, vegetable, or canola oil.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter. Reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon if you use salted butter.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic and garlic paste are both okay. You need 1/2 tablespoon garlic paste.
- Rosemary – Use fresh or dried.
- Smoked paprika – You can swap it for 3/4 teaspoon mild paprika and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ancho chili powder.
- Red pepper flakes – Feel free to use cayenne pepper or chili powder instead.
- Salt and pepper – Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper are best.
How to Make Lemon Rosemary Chicken
This is a quick run-through of the recipe’s step-by-step instructions. It’s pretty easy but don’t forget to set a timer so you remember to remove the chicken from the oven. If you’re ready to start cooking, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Prep the oven. Preheat it to 425F. Place the chicken in a 13×9″ baking dish. Set it aside. If you’re not preparing the chicken right away, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until then.
- Make the lemon mixture. Whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
- Season it. Pour the mixture over the chicken and mix gently until completely coated. You can also use your hands to rub the mixture into the chicken. Place it skin-side down.
- Bake it. Pop it into the oven for 20 minutes, flip over, and cook for another 30-35 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.
- Serve. Remove it from the oven. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Variation Ideas
Lining the baking dish and checking the chicken’s internal temperature are just some of the tips that’ll help you nail this lemon rosemary chicken.
- Shake it. If you don’t want to toss/stir the chicken and lemon mixture in the baking dish, add all the ingredients to a large Ziploc bag. Seal it and shake well until completely coated.
- Marinate it. Mix 1/2 cup low-sodium veggie stock, 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 tablespoon garlic paste until smooth. Pour the marinade into a large Ziploc bag. Add the chicken and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Discard the excess marinade and season as usual.
- Sweeten it up. Mix 1-2 tablespoons raw honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup into the mixture for a sweet-and-savory variation.
- Use a meat thermometer. Especially if some pieces of chicken are larger than others, stick a meat thermometer into the thickest parts to check their internal temperature. Ensure it reaches 165°F before removing it from the oven to avoid undercooking.
- Swap the cuts. Feel free to use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, leg-quarters, or drumsticks. Reduce the total baking time down to 40 minutes (flipping halfway through) if you use drumsticks.
- Reduce clean-up. Line the baking dish with foil or parchment paper to prevent sticking and reduce clean-up when you’re done cooking.
Serving Suggestions
This lemon rosemary chicken is an easy weeknight dinner option. I love serving it with my Garlic Herb Smashed Potatoes and Mediterranean Salad. My Fattoush Salad is another easy side salad. For other veggie side ideas, try my Air Fryer Asparagus, Air Fryer Green Beans, and Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic.
How to Store and Reheat
Leftovers reheat beautifully, maintaining all the vibrant flavors of the freshly-made dish.
- Fridge: Place it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Discard immediately if it tastes sour or bitter.
- Freezer: Store it in freezer-friendly containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- To reheat it: Sprinkle it with 1/4 teaspoon water and microwave it in 30-second increments until warm.
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Chicken with Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Garlic Herb Crock Pot Chicken
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This buttery, lemon rosemary chicken recipe with stone-ground mustard and garlic is an easy, baked weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. of bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon of stone ground mustard
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons of rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, butter, garlic, rosemary, smoked paprika, salt & pepper.
- Place chicken legs & thighs in a 13″x9″ baking dish.
- Pour lemon rosemary mixture over chicken, toss to coat. Place chicken skin side down first.
- Bake chicken for 20 minutes then flip the chicken to cook an addition 30-35 minutes on the other side until internal temperature is 165°F and tops are golden brown.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh
- Calories: 314
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 314 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 8 mg
19 comments on “Lemon Rosemary Chicken”
Loved this We used big 2 pkg of legs and attached thighs. Used grated lemon rind only had Dijon. I slid stalk of rosemary under skin on all the thighs. Pasted Dijon over skin the. Sprinkled grated lemon over chicken. Did not need to add any oil
baked 45 min When done we let cool and packaged up for meals and froze them Looking over your site for more recipes to try and make more meals this way
Such a great meal prep idea! Glad you loved them!
Such an easy but so flavourful!
I did not use any olive oil
I used several tsp of Dijon mixed with grated lemon
I used 4 stalks of rosemary cut in half and stuffed one under the skin of each chicken
I sprinkled dried Rosemary on the bottom of the pan then laid out the attached leg and thigh spread the Dijon mixture and popped in the oven To bake. Easy peasy! I did flip the chicken in last 10-15 min to moisten the top and crisp up the underside Lots of juices Great recipe thanks !!
I have two whole chickens cut up, skinless, bone in.
I will bake this tonight for dinner (a lot of company).
do you have suggestion for baking time in roasting pan, uncovered, correct? or should I cover?
want it brown, but don’t want to dry out.
will add rosemary, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic (we love garlic), salt and pepper…
WHERE DO I GET STONE GROUND MUSTARD? Is that a specialty shop item? It’s dried mustard, correct? where to buy it?
THANKS! will report back!! S
Hey Steph! If you want it to get browned slightly but not dry I would maybe cover it for half the cooking time and then remove the foil for the other half to brown it. The stone ground mustard I use it just Grey Poupon brand, its at any grocery store where all the other mustards are. (its not dry) If you can’t find it then any regular dijon mustard would do, its definitely not a speciality item. All it is is mustard but with the seeds in it to give some texture. 🙂 Hope that helps girl!
This looks yummy! I’ve got a 2 year old as well and I know exactly how you feel about wanting to go to bed at 7:30 too. I spend all day looking after the children and looking forward to a bit of time to catch up with blogging in the evening and then I’m too tired!
haha… I can so relate to that! Their down time is the only blog time so basically I’ve decided if you are a blogger with kids sleep just doesn’t happen! haha… hope you get a chance to try this recipe Corina!
This looks great! Does it make a difference in cooking time if bonesless/skinless chicken is used?
Thanks Aubrey! Yes, the cooking time would be less if it is boneless skinless chicken.
I think it is the kids that make us tired. They are a lot of work. That’ll wear anyone out. 😀
I am so loving these flavors. We eat a lot of chicken in our house, so new recipes are always welcome.
haha.. I know right!
So glad you are loving the chicken recipe girl! 🙂
Is it bad that I could go to bed at 7:30 and don’t even have kids yet! I don’t know what I’m going to do about that when the times comes to have kids. I’m in trouble. This chicken looks delicious and my rosemary is crazy too, so I should make it!
Nope! Working and blogs wears you out girl, but add in that kid element and its just complete exhaustion! 🙂
You should totally make this, great way to use up rosemary. 🙂
LOL! Oh, Krista you’re not even that old! Just wait… 🙂 This baked chicken sounds waaay better than any fast-food and much healthier! Love it and pinned!
I know! Thats why I’m freakin out that I’m getting tired at 7:30!!! But I guess kids will do that to ya. 🙂
Glad you liked the recipe chica, thanks for the pin!
Easy, fast and delicious and won’t rob my pocketbook buying the ingredients! Now THAT IS MY KINDA RECIPE!! Thanks! Shopped at Aldi’s yesterday and looked at what we got(or DIDN’T get) for our $70 and decided that we must make some changes and cut out a lot of recipes that take way, way too many expensive ingredients. I just stopped reading many blogs now for that reason.
Those are my kinda recipes too… although I like the occasionally fancy dinner with a glass of wine. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping in and saying hi Joyce! Hope you have a great rest of the week!
This chicken looks so good! I’m a chicken lover all the way. And don’t feel too old — I feel the same way so many nights! Actually, by 11:00am my 2-year-old has pretty much worn me out. Thank goodness for naps!
haha… I know! Man.. those 2 year olds sure have alot of energy. I like to take him to the park and run him… is that bad? haha I would nap if I didn’t have a blog, but alas I do. Sleeping is overrated! So glad ya liked the chicken Ashley!