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.
This chicken recipe was easy and tasty? I browned the chicken in a skillet and placed it directly in the oven. The butter sauce got too brown. Next time I’ll put the chicken in a glass baking dish. Also start checking for doneness after 17 minutes. Overall this is a versatile recipe to have on hand.
Delicious and easy to prepare. My husband wanted 3rds!!
Yummy good.
This came out perfect, thank you! I ended up slicing up the chicken breasts, and using it in my mediterranean wraps. Your recipe is saved, thank you!
Delicious, my family loves this dish.
I was looking for a recipe for some chicken breasts I was planning to make and wanted something with rosemary. I didn’t have any fresh herbs on hand so had to use dried but even with the dried herbs, this was so very good. Even the leftovers were delicious a couple of nights later. Instead of transferring from frying pan to baking dish, I just put the frying pan straight in the oven and it worked perfectly. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Do you cover the chicken while it’s in the oven?
You do not cover it!
i highly recommend!!! super tender and juicy chicken and delicious flavors! it was a hit
Do you a e a recipe for the pasta dish you are serving with it in one of the pictures? It looks delicious and exactly like what I am wanting to serve when I make this chicken.
It is this angel hair pasta: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/angel-hair-pasta/
I doubled the sauce part and cooked potatoes in with the chicken. Next time, I’ll let the chicken marinade in the sauce for a few hours to a day and I think that’ll make it even better.
Delicious and easy! I doubled the sauce, other than that, followed the recipe exactly. My family loved it and I will be making this again soon.
I’ve made this dish four times. I sauté the chicken in an oven safe pan and stick that in the oven. I cook linguine and toss it in the chicken sauce. Amazing!
Easy and delicious…
This chicken is delicious! Made it for dinner tonight and YUM! Super easy to make too. Will be a go to recipe! Thank you!
Super delish and easy! Teenager approved 🙂
Can this all be done in a cast iron skillet?
That will work!
question: The Rosemary Chicken is baked uncovered, correct?
uncovered is correct!
I tried this after purchasing a couple rosemary pants. It’s sooooooo tasty! I don’t usually leave comments but this recipe was amazing! A must try!
Tasty dish with lots of flavour. Love it.
Another winner from Dinner at the Zoo! I always look like a star when I make your recipes. I added baby broccoli and carrots to my pan and they were extra flavorful in the sauce! I also pounded the chicken breasts and cut them in half so they would cook faster. Thanks so much from the East Bay.
This recipe is fantastic – tender, moist, flavorful chicken. I used an ovenproof pan, so not many dishes to wash either. Definitely going into the dinner rotation at our house.