This rosemary chicken is seared chicken breasts coated in a garlic and herb sauce, then baked to golden brown perfection. An easy dinner option that’s sure to get rave reviews and is perfect for a busy weeknight.
When I need a quick dinner, I turn to baked chicken dishes such as Greek chicken with potatoes, cornflake chicken, or these savory rosemary chicken breasts.
Baked chicken is easy to make, versatile and can be paired with so many different side dishes. This rosemary chicken features a simple yet totally delicious sauce that will have everyone asking for seconds.
How do you make rosemary chicken?
This recipe starts with chicken breasts, which are seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and seared in a little olive oil until brown. The chicken goes into a baking dish along with melted butter, garlic, fresh minced rosemary and chicken broth. The chicken bakes in the oven until tender and juicy, then the sauce is spooned over the top and you’re ready to eat!
Tips for the perfect chicken
- I highly recommend browning your chicken before you place it in the pan to bake. I think it’s worth the extra time! That being said, if you’re in a big hurry you can skip this step and simply place the uncooked chicken in the pan with the sauce.
- Be sure to choose chicken breasts that are approximately the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
- Different sized chicken breasts cook in different amounts of time. This recipe assumes that your chicken breasts are about 4-5 ounces each. If your chicken breasts are significantly larger or smaller, you may need to adjust the cook time according.
- You can check to see if your chicken is done by cutting into a breast; there should be no pink inside and the juices should run clear. Alternatively, you can use a thermometer. The thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast will register at least 165 degrees F.
Fresh to dried rosemary ratio
I highly recommend using fresh rosemary for this recipe, as I feel the flavor is superior to the dried version. That being said, if you need to substitute dried rosemary in a pinch, the ratio is 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary for every tablespoon of fresh rosemary.
Rosemary chicken variations
While I love this recipe as-is, you can add other ingredients to the dish to customize it to your tastes.
- Protein: Instead of chicken breasts, try chicken thighs or even chicken drumsticks. You can even substitute in pork chops!
- Vegetables: You can add 1-2 cups of vegetables to the baking dish such as mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus or green beans.
- Cheese: Top your finished chicken with a sprinkling of feta or parmesan cheese.
- Flavorings: Try adding other flavors to the sauce such as sliced kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes or even pine nuts.
MORE CHICKEN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Chicken Meatballs
- Huli Huli Chicken
- Fried Chicken Wings
- Mediterranean Chicken (One Pot)
- Braised Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes
Rosemary Chicken Video
Rosemary Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves minced
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 1/4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- lemon slices and rosemary sprigs for serving optional
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season the chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until browned.
- Transfer the chicken to a baking dish coated with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, butter, garlic, chicken broth and lemon juice. Pour the butter mixture over the chicken.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Bake time may vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. The chicken is done when it reads at least 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
- Spoon the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish over the chicken, then sprinkle with parsley and serve. Garnish with lemon slices and rosemary sprigs if desired.
I seared the chicken in a stainless steel pan and baked it in a cast iron pan that I covered with foil. I did let it bake too long – it was 182 degrees when I took it out. That was after 30 minute bake time. It was 116 degrees after searing for roughly 8 total minutes and 148 degrees after 15 minutes in the oven. However, it was still good to me and my wife loved it. She wants me to teach her how to make it. Someone else asked the same question I had and that was about the pasta from the picture. The link for that is in the response. So that is my next time – add the pasta. Even though I overcooked it – this was delicious and thank you so much for making it available.