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This Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing is a flavorful update to the classic roasted chicken. Herb and garlic-seasoned chicken, roasted with lemons, and served with a tangy and slightly salty olive dressing. This quick-cooking, easy sheet pan dinner comes together in just about an hour. It’s a touch buttery, colorful, healthy, and beyond delicious. Incorporate this into your weekly dinner rotation or serve it up at your next dinner party. Yes, it’s easy enough for a weeknight, but fancy enough to serve to guests.
Sharing yet another sheet pan dinner today that I’m so very excited about. I hesitated to share this recipe, solely for the fact that I don’t love the photos, but one of my goals for the year is to try and let go of having everything perfect…though in my eyes nothing is ever perfect…ever. The truth is, I can often overthink and over complicate things. And you know what I’m realizing? I just don’t have time for that and I have to stop. So much easier said than done, but I really am going to try.
This is one step in the right direction. Because even though I don’t love the photos of this chicken, I sure do love the recipe. I mean there’s absolutely nothing not to love about buttery roasted chicken with garlic and lemon. There’s even goat cheese, it’s insanely good.
I’ve had the idea for this chicken for a while now, but it took me a few weeks to fully develop the concept. I knew I really wanted to make roasted chicken, And I knew I wanted there to be garlic and roasted lemon. But I also knew I wanted it to feel fresh and new. There are A LOT of roasted chicken recipes out there. And many are very very similar. I didn’t want this to be just like all the others, so the recipe took a while to get right.
But I finally got it right, and I’m finally sharing my go-to chicken dinner. It’s all made simple on one sheet pan. My hope is that this will become a new staple dinner for you all.
Here are the details.
I want you guys to read this closely because while this is a simple recipe, it was a confusing one for me to write out.
Start with the chicken. First, I like to use a mix of chicken thighs and skinless chicken breasts. Most of the people I feed regularly prefer chicken breasts, but I like to toss in a couple boneless, skin-on, chicken thighs for added flavor. Use what you like best…all thighs, all breasts, or a mix.
Find yourself a good sheet pan and toss the chicken together with some olive oil, a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, parsley, and oregano.
Now, on that same sheet pan add the lemons (one should be cut in half and the other should be sliced) and a handful of whole garlic cloves. Place pats of butter on each piece of chicken. Roast in the oven until the chicken is fully cooked through and the lemons are charring. It’s important to keep an eye on the lemons and garlic towards the end of cooking to ensure neither is burning. If your lemons or your garlic cloves are on the smaller side, they may cook up faster than the chicken, so just keep an eye on things towards the end.
That’s part one….
The dressing.
this dressing is extra special. Its main two ingredients are the roasted lemon slices and roast garlic. You use not only the lemon juice, but the lemon rind as well. Yes, I’m about to tell you to chop up the WHOLE lemon, rind and all, and add it to your dressing. I know this seems odd, but roasting the lemon removes any bitterness and makes them extra sweet and tangy. Once the lemon is finely chopped and stirred together with olive oil, parsley, oregano, and basil it’s the perfect marriage of flavors. They make for a vibrant, but also incredibly rich dressing.
Next, add the garlic, which adds a subtle, sweet flavor. Then toss in salty olives, for a little bit of a bite.
Finally, a splash of fish sauce…only if you enjoy it. Many recipes will use anchovies in their dressing, but I find anchovies a little annoying to work with. Fish sauce works in a pinch (its only ingredients are anchovies, water, and salt).
Finishing it up…
Once the chicken is finished I simply leave it on the sheet pan, remove the lemons and garlic, finish up the dressing, and add chunks of creamy goat cheese to the warm chicken. The cheese will soften as it sits. It’s the perfect creamy ingredient that compliments all the flavors happening here so well.
Then spoon the dressing over the chicken and cheese, and serve. And that’s it. It’s not hard or even time consuming, but tricky to write out and explain. I hope this has all made sense!
I love serving this with a simple side of rice or creamy orzo pasta. Add a side salad plus crusty bread and dinner is complete. It’s fancy(ish), yet still simple. The chicken is perfectly buttery, herby, and garlicky, and the dressing adds freshness and tang. An all-around great meal and definitely not your average chicken dinner!
If you make this Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 460 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken thighs and or breasts, skin on or off (choose similar sizes for even cooking)
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, 2 finely chopped + 4 whole cloves
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 lemons, 1 halved and 1 sliced
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, sliced into 6 pieces
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup green olives, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
- 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 ounces goat cheese broken into chunks
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 2. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the chicken, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped oregano, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss well to evenly coat the chicken. Arrange the lemons and smashed garlic cloves around the chicken. Add 1 slice of butter to each piece of chicken. Transfer to the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes, cooking until the chicken is cooked through and the lemons are charred. Keep an eye on the lemon slices and garlic cloves to ensure they are not burning.3. To make the dressing. Combine the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 3/4 cup parsley, 2 tablespoons oregano, the basil, olives, vinegar, and fish sauce, if using. 4. Remove the charred lemon slices and garlic cloves from the baking sheet. Finely chop the lemon slices...rind and all, discarding any of the seeds. Add half of the chopped lemon to the dressing. Finely chop/mash the garlic into a paste, stir the garlic into the dressing. Season with crushed red pepper and salt. Taste adding more of the lemon as desired.5. Serve each piece of chicken with goat cheese and the dressing spooned over top.
Notes
Chicken: you can use thighs or breast, bone in or out. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. Bone in chicken will need 10-15 minutes additional cooking time, depending on the size of the chicken.
Amazing!! Thank you Tieghan for this recipe. It was delicious!!
Hey Jinny,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful weekend:) xTieghan
Delicious!! Will ? make again! Every recipe I’ve ever made from this blog/my cookbook is a win for our family which says a lot when kids are involved!
Hey Ashley,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! ☀️xTieghan
This meal is one of my favorites!! The first time I made this, the lemon-olive dressing was a little too bitter, so the second time around, I omitted the rind and just used lemon juice to taste. Delicious! Also, I subbed feta instead of goat cheese for personal preference 🙂
Hey Katarina,
I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try!! xxTieghan
Made this tonight! It was killer – made with brown rice and a side salad. Definitely one I am going to save.
Hey Marisa,
Awesome! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed and I really appreciate you giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Made this today and the taste came out amazing. Any tips on how to keep the chicken from drying out?
Hey Cristy,
So so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! Just be sure not to overcook the chicken:) xxTieghan
Made this tonight – i loved how it had regular kitchen staples I had on hand! I was nervous aboot the dressing since it’s just out of my comfort zone to put a cold dressing on a hot meal, but trust me when I say do no skip it! Word of caution, add your lemons / lemon juice slowly and taste as you go. I found it overpowering but by the time it ended up on my plate it went so well worth the chicken! Thanks for this Tegan ?
Hey Elizabeth,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have a great weekend:) xxTieghan
Hi Tiegan, this looks amazing and I am making it tonight. Quick question, do I chop all of the lemon, the slices and the two halves?
Hey Karen,
You are chopping the roasted lemons and then just using the half of lemon juice for the dressing. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Roasted Garlic Butter chicken! Yes the recipe was a little confusing about the lemons! It wasn’t clear to me whether to roast all the slices and the 1/2 of lemon cut in two! But that’s probably my bad 🙂 My husband and I loved it the second time as much as the first! I’m on a low carb diet so I just served with a garden salad and it was both filling and satisfying! I ‘ll make more often now!!
Hey Renee,
So so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
Going to try this tonight—it looks amazing!
Your video shows cilantro in the dressing but no mention of it in the ingredients.
Hey Jane,
Really any herbs that you enjoy will work for the dressing, use what you love:) I hope you enjoy the recipe! xTieghan
Exceptional recipe!!! Love the dressing. The chopped charred lemon slices and mashed roasted garlic really elevate the dish.
Hey Shawn,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Thank you for the recipe! There is so much depth to these flavors!
The lemon makes the plate, no doubt. Loved it.
Hey Denisse,
I am absolutely delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! Have the best week☀️ xTieghan
This is the third recipe I’ve tried from your blog and I have to say it was such a fresh, delicious, new way of eating chicken! I just bought your cookbook and I’m looking forward to trying all the fun recipes. Thanks for adding so much more excitement to our meals!
Hey Reika,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday? xTieghan
Hello ! I made this recipe yesterday ! It was delicious!
Hey Florence,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday? xTieghan
Made this for dinner and loved it!
But my bigger issue is this. WHY DO YOU ALL COMMENT ON HOW GREAT THIS SOUNDS OR LOOKS! I, as well as everyone else I’m sure, is looking for you reviews on how the meal turned out and perhaps tips or tricks you had if altered. We are not asking your review on how great it looks. I mean, help a sister out people bc you’re all killing me. Good lord. But most excellent, as always!!
Hey Alex,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Fantastic! Just discovered this recipe after searching for a dinner recipe with plain old chicken breasts. So many great flavors and I didn’t even include the olives, fish sauce or goat cheese (to appease my husband). Chicken was very moist…baked at 400 degrees, just to be safe. Sauce was good with the smashed potatoes I made also.
Thanks Tieghan for helping me make another great dinner!
Hey Natalie,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan