This Lemon Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner with green beans is loaded with fresh herbs and bright citrus flavor. It is our favorite super easy weeknight meal that is ready in 30 minutes for a quick dinner!
If you enjoy this easy chicken recipe, check out some other easy chicken breast recipes: Best Baked Chicken Recipe, Easy Chicken Souvlaki and Creamy Chicken Parmesan.
Lemon Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
Winner Winner, EASY Chicken Dinner! This easy sheet pan chicken dinner couldn’t be any easier to whip up. You can even meal prep it ahead of time and pop it into the oven when you are ready to bake it. The chicken is perfectly juicy and the green beans have that amazing roasted taste. We toss it all in lemon and aromatic fresh herbs for a perfect healthy weeknight dinner.
If made as is, this is a perfect low carb dinner. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand, it does not have to be green beans. I have a list of additional vegetables you can try instead! All the ingredients for this sheet pan chicken recipe, I always have on hand. That makes this recipe a rockstar at our house!
Ingredients Needed
- chicken breasts or thighs
- butter
- olive oil
- lemons
- fresh rosemary
- fresh thyme
- garlic
- salt
- pepper
- green beans
I recommend using boneless chicken breasts or thighs because they cook faster than the bone-in varieties. If you use a bone-in style of chicken, the chicken will have to cook for a longer time and you may overcook your vegetables in that time.
In the photos you will see I used skinless chicken breasts and in the video I used skin on chicken pieces. Either way is totally fine, it’s absolutely a personal preference. You can use light or dark meat, skin on or skin off. But, those crispy pieces of roasted chicken skin on top are kind of my favorite.
What other vegetables can I use?
There are so many other vegetables you can use – the options are endless! If it’s a larger vegetable, say like zucchini or an onion, I recommend slicing or dicing it into large chunks for more even cooking. Below are some of our favorite vegetable options:
- potatoes
- sweet potatoes
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- carrots
- parsnips
- brussel sprouts
- asparagus
- zucchini (can get watery)
- summer squash (can get watery)
How to make Lemon Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
This recipe only has 4 easy steps to follow until dinner is ready:
- Preheat oven to 400°F and toss together melted butter, olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Toss chicken and green beans in butter mixture and arrange the chicken and green beans, in an even layer, on large sheet pan.
- Slice a lemon into thin slices and arrange on top of chicken and green beans for extra lemon flavor!
- Roast for 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Serve immediately!
Can I prep this Sheet Pan Chicken ahead of time?
Yes! You can prepare this dish up to 48 hours ahead (as long as your chicken sell by date extends past that time frame window) and wrap it tightly with foil or saran wrap on the sheet pan. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then bake as directed. You may need an extra 5-10 minutes to the cook time since the pan and vegetables will also be cold.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, with a few exceptions. I find it best to add the veggies slices of lemon fresh. So I mix the butter mixture and add my chicken to it in a freezer safe ziplock bag. Make sure you get all the air out and seal it shut. Then you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to make it, thaw the whole package out in the fridge for 2 days before you are ready to cook it. Then toss your fresh veggies in the sauce as well, arrange it on the sheet pan and add some fresh lemon slices on top. And roast it as directed in the recipe!
Tips for the best Sheet Pan Chicken!
- Use parchment paper for an easy cleanup! If you don’t want to spend a lot of time scrubbing a pan, use foil or parchment paper for an easy clean up.
- Use a meat thermometer to verify that the chicken does not over cook! Over cooked chicken breasts get very tough, very fast. Using a thermometer inserted into the chicken verifies your chicken will be perfectly cooked and super juicy.
- If you meal prep this sheet pan chicken recipe ahead of time, make sure you wrap it tightly with foil or saran wrap for storing it in the fridge. You don’t want it to dry out while it waits for you.
- Use your favorite FRESH herbs. I recommend using fresh rosemary and thyme. However, I know rosemary is not everyone’s favorite herb, so you can also try using just thyme. Many readers have also used dried Italian seasoning and loved this dish.
- Don’t use jarred/bottled lemon juice. Fresh lemon is so much more flavorful and the acid really brings something to this dish. Using bottled lemon juice will not give it the same final taste you are looking for. The flavor will be duller.
I know you are going to enjoy this easy Lemon Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner as it has been one of our favorites for years! It’s incredibly flavorful and ready in just 30 minutes. Prepare it with your families favorite vegetables and watch it disappear!
Lemon Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 lb, skin on, chicken pieces (or boneless skinless chicken breasts)
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 lemons, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, mix butter, olive oil, juice from 2 lemons, rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Toss chicken and green beans in butter mixture.
- Place the chicken and green beans on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread into an even layer.
- Slice remaining lemon in thin slices and arrange on top of chicken and green beans.
- Roast for 25 minutes — until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Serve immediately!
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