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    May 23, 2023

    Rosemary Chicken

    There’s always more room in our recipe file for a flavorful chicken dish cooked in a single skillet. This rosemary chicken recipe pulls together simple ingredients for an easy and elegant meal.

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    homemade rosemary chicken in a pan with a spoon made with butter, shallots, garlic, rosemary, dijon, lemon juice & zest
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    A Recipe For Sunny Lemon Garlic Rosemary Chicken

    Good news! We’ve lightened up the traditional creamy rosemary chicken recipe by omitting the heavy cream, but the end result is still a silky herbed sauce (spoiler alert, there’s still butter!). This recipe pulls from everyday pantry items like mustard, chicken stock, and garlic and adds fresh rosemary and lemon. This would be a great weekend lunch, or dinner any night of the week served with an Easy Fennel Salad or Simple Butter Lettuce Salad and a grain like Couscous or Rice.

    homemade rosemary chicken served on top of white rice on a plate with a fork

    What is Rosemary Chicken?

    Rosemary chicken is a dish with variations throughout the Mediterranean region where rosemary grows in dense swaths. There’s Greek and Italian versions, and this rosemary chicken recipe has a French influence with the addition of those favorite French ingredients, Dijon mustard and butter.

    chicken breast cutlets, olive oil, shallot, garlic, butter, rosemary, salt, pepper, dijon, lemon juice & zest in prep bowls

    Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Easy Rosemary Chicken

    • Chicken breasts – Tender and juicy, and the best conveyance for a rich lemony, rosemary cream sauce.

    • Shallot, garlic, and rosemary – We love the way these flavors marry, like in this Cod & Potatoes in Rosemary Cream Sauce.

    • Dijon mustard and lemon – Many French recipes were built on the foundation of these two ingredients and we keep coming back.

    • Salted butter – We melt in a few tablespoons to make a really luxurious herbed sauce.

    salted chicken breast being browned in a pan with olive oil
    chicken stock and mustard being added to a pan with shallot, garlic and rosemary that were cooked in olive oil

    How to Make Rosemary Chicken

    • Cook the chicken. A trusty large ovenproof skillet or braiser will work well for this job. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.

    • Add in the aromatics (garlic, shallot, and rosemary) and cook until fragrant.

    • Make the sauce. Add the chicken stock and mustard and simmer to thicken.

    • Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, and butter until the butter melts.

    • Nestle the chicken into the sauce, giving it a good turn.

    • Serve over Rice or Couscous to grab every last drop of sauce.

    shallot, garlic, rosemary, chicken stock, dijon, lemon zest & juice being cooked in a pan to make sauce for rosemary chicken
    homemade rosemary chicken in a pan

    How to Store Rosemary Chicken + Tips

    • Fresh rosemary, if you find yourself with too much on hand, freezes well.

    • Rosemary chicken is great in the freezer. Just wait until it has cooled to store it in an airtight container.

    • Got leftovers? You’ll want to refrigerate them in an airtight container and make sure to eat them within 4-5 days. You can eat them as originally served, or shred the chicken for salads and sandwiches.

    • This dish would also be nice made with pork, or lamb–both meats pair nicely with rosemary.

    homemade rosemary chicken in pan made with butter, shallots, garlic, rosemary, dijon, lemon juice & zest with a serving spoon

    Chicken Dinner Is Our Middle Name

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    Rosemary Chicken

    May 23, 2023

    • Serves: 4
    • Prep Time:  20 min
    • Cook Time:  30 min
    • Calories: 479
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    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4 cutlets (about 1½ pounds)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for serving
    • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
    • 1 cup chicken stock
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus more for serving (from 1 lemon)
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 4 tablespoons salted butter, cold
    • Cooked rice or couscous, for serving

    Method

    1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Season the chicken all over with the salt.

    2. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken to the skillet. Cook until browned, 3-4 minutes per side. Continue cooking, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 5-6 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

    3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the chicken stock and mustard and bring to a simmer over high heat. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until reduced by half, 2-3 minutes.

    4. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, and butter until the butter melts. Taste and season with salt and more lemon juice if desired. Return the chicken to the skillet and turn to coat.

    5. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice or couscous.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories479
    • Protein52 g
    • Carbohydrates4 g
    • Total Fat27 g
    • Dietary Fiber0 g
    • Cholesterol196 mg
    • sodium541 mg
    • Total Sugars1 g

    Rosemary Chicken

    Questions & Reviews

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    • Becca

      Absolutely loved this recipe! The creators are so talented and I really enjoy trying all the recipes they share.

      Thank you Becca, that is so kind!

    • Kay

      This is such incredible chicken. I could eat all of it! I am so happy to have this in my go to folder now!

      Thanks Kay, we are so glad you love it!