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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.

overhead photo of Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing on sheet pan with spoon on pan

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.

overhead photo of Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken on sheet pan before roasting

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.

overhead photo of Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken on sheet pan after roasting

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.

lemons on sheet pan after roasting

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….

Lemon Olive Dressing in bowl with goat cheese

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).

close up overhead photo of Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing on sheet pan

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!

Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing | halfbakedharvest.com #chicken #sheetpan #easyrecipes

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.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
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.

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Ingredients

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. 
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horizontal overhead photo of Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing

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Comments

  1. Hi! I’m making this tonight and excited to try it. I’m curious though of what the point is for the lemon that’s halved? I just see the part about cutting up the sliced lemon for the sauce but nothing about the halved lemon.

    Reply

    1. Hey Palinor,
      You are going to use that half of the lemon in step 4. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I made this last night for guests and it came absolutely amazing. I did 3 thighs and 3 breasts- having variety was nice. I omitted the fish sauce. Everyone raved about it, and said it was like something they would order from a restaurant! Highly recommend. PS roasting lemons and chopping them was new to me, and oh my gosh I’m obsessed now. Definitely going to be incorporating it into other recipes.

    Reply

    2. Hi! Do you have another cheese we can substitute for goat cheese? Along with a substitute for the green olives? 🙂 Thank you so much

      Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This has become almost a weekly meal in our house. We absolutely love it! It’s easy and delicious. We serve it with brown or wild rice. I usually don’t have fresh oregano on hand but find the dried works just fine.

    Reply

    1. Hey there,
      I would increase your baking tie by 10-15 minutes until your chicken reaches an internal temp of 160. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Just when I thought how can she keep coming up with even more delicious sheet pan recipes ,….you do it ! All have been very different unique and delicious. I added potatoes to pan for our big family. Made with the swirled garlic herb bread.
    This was amazing. Keep em coming.
    Ps , dip the bread in the dressing and pan juices. And your head might fall off it’s so good.

    Reply

    1. Hey Karen,
      Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  7. On this very cold and snowy night I made this chicken for dinner. It filled the house with such a warm and wonderful smell, not too mention the absolutely awesome taste. we loved the lemon and olive mix….Outstanding! Thank you again for the great recipe,

    Reply

  8. We have a freezer full of bone in skin on thighs. I’m assuming it would still work. What do you think? Thanks!

    Reply

  9. Hi Tieghan, I have a question about this recipe. I see it says to cook the chicken 35-45 min. I would be using boneless skinless chicken breasts. Wouldn’t this be too much time to cook boneless chicken breasts, especially at 425 degrees? I would think they would be dried out. Thanks for any help!

    Reply

    1. Hey Melanie,
      I think it depends on how thicken your chicken is, but I would just be sure to cook until it has reached an internal temp of 160. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    As always, this recipe was amazing!!! Definitely putting this into the rotation. The dressing on top was perfection! Thanks also for including the amount of extra time for bone in thighs. Leftovers (eaten cold) were also delicious. You’re absolutely the best!

    Reply

    1. Hey Jennie,
      Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Made this on a weeknight for my busy fam—easy and delicious! Dressing is fab and the goat cheese…chef kiss!!! The world needs more goat cheese! Excellent recipe, thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hey Cari,
      I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out. Have a great weekend! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. What are the roasted lemon halves for? I see that the slices are added to the dressing but I don’t understand what purpose the lemon halves have in the recipe.
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Rachel, I just like them for added flavor and color to the pan. They will caramelize in the oven and are delicious served along side the chicken. If you don’t feel you need them you can just omit them. No big deal! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. I am going to make this over the weekend! I think I will roast some cauliflower in with it too. Thank you and can’t wait!

    Reply

  15. Hi! Just curious, the ingredients in the video don’t make what is listed on the webpage. Cilantro is mentioned in the video…does this recipe need that too? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey there,
      I just added some fresh cilantro when I made the recipe for the video. You can add 1/4 cup fresh cilantro if you’d like. That is great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply