Ina Garten’s Lemon and Garlic Chicken

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Succulent, moist, supremes of chicken, are cooked nestled in a bed of lemon, garlic, herbs, white wine and olive oil. The skin is simply rubbed with olive oil and seasoned purely with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to guarantee a crispy skin with pops of salty, peppery deliciousness. Whilst in the oven, all the incredible flavours are absorbed directly into the flesh from the lemon and garlic mixture below and the oil and wine guarantee that the breast maintains its juicy and moist texture. With only 5 minutes needed to prep, this stand-out chicken dish is quick and easy enough for a weeknight supper, but also perfect for entertaining. I like to serve this luscious chicken on a bed of silky, mashed potato with the juices from the pan and some green vegetables on the side.

Where is this recipe from?

I can’t remember whether I came across this recipe on insta or facebook, but it is from the wonderful American cook, Ina Gartner, who you may know as the Barefoot Contessa. To see the recipe directly on her website, and view other wonderful dishes, please click here.

What are supremes of chicken?

I make this dish with supremes of chicken. Not to be confused with a classic french recipe called Chicken Supreme, (chicken breasts cooked with smoked bacon lardons in a creamy, mushroom sauce) supremes of chicken, or suprême de volaille, are simply skin-on chicken breasts with the first joint of the chicken wing attached. Available in some butchers, but rarely in supermarkets, (in the UK at least) they are normally interchangeable with skin-on chicken breasts. In fact, Ina Gartner uses chicken breasts, when making this recipe. For those who always prefer chicken thighs over breasts, I urge you to try this dish. You will not be disappointed.

How to make Ina Garten’s Lemon and Garlic Chicken

Please see the printable Recipe Card below for the exact, yet condensed, quantities and instructions.

Collect the ingredients together:

• good quality olive oil, divided
• plump cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely chopped
• dry white wine. Any dry white wine will work but I like chardonnay.
• grated lemon zest and juice
• dried oregano or chopped fresh oregano. Fresh oregano can be difficult to find s I often used dried here.
• stalks fresh thyme or use dried thyme. Fresh thyme is more commonly found than oregano so I normally use fresh, but dried works well here too.
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• supremes of chicken (or use breasts), skin on, at room temperature
• extra sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• lemon wedges

How to make this fabulous supper:

1. Remember to take your chicken supremes/breasts out of the fridge, to come to room temperature, before you cook them. This can take around half an hour, depending on the ambient temperature. (See below for more details.)
2. Preheat the oven.
3. Measure 2 tablespoons olive oil into a saucepan over a moderate heat and add the crushed garlic. Cook for 1 minute and remove from the heat. It is important that the heat isn’t too high or the garlic will burn. You just want it to be aromatic.
4. Next add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour into a baking dish. The dish I use for 2 good sized chicken supremes/breasts is 20cm/8in square. NB If your baking dish can also be used on the hob, you can heat the oil and garlic directly in the baking dish. A cast iron pan would work wonderfully.
5. Pat the chicken breasts dry with kitchen paper and place, flesh side down, in the lemon and garlic mix. Drizzle with the extra olive oil and rub evenly into the skin with your fingers or use a cooking brush.
6. Season with flakes of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and tuck the lemon wedges in the dish around the chicken. Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes, check the chicken to make sure it is not too brown already and crank up the heat up to 250°C/480°F/Gas 9 (fan 230°C). Cook for a further 10 minutes until the meat is cooked and the skin is brown and crispy. (See below for how to test when chicken is cooked.) NB Smaller breasts/supremes will cook more quickly so start checking them after 20 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and set aside for 5 – 10 minutes to rest. It is important that you only loosely cover the chicken or it will sweat in the heat and you will lose the wonderfully crispy skin.
9. Serve with the pan juices, silky mashed potatoes and some green vegetables or a green salad on the side.

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Why should meat be cooked at room temperature?

When you cook meat, the muscles in the flesh contract and tighten when heated. The colder the muscles the more they will contract; this means it is harder for the heat to distribute evenly. By letting the meat come to room temperature before you cook it, the meat will cook more evenly and when cooked, it will be juicier. It can take between 20 – 40 minutes for fridge cold chicken breasts to reach room temperature, depending on their size and the ambient room temperature.

You also need time to rest the meat after cooking:

As the muscles of the meat contract and tighten when cooked, the juices are forced toward the surface of the meat and some will evaporate. (Which is why overcooked meat is dry.) Allowing the meat to rest after you have removed the heat source, means the muscles will relax and the juices can re-distribute throughout the meat. If you cut it immediately, you are in danger of losing some of these juices; your chicken may then be dry and the flavour from those gorgeous juices will be lost.

Check the chicken is cooked:

Pierce centre of the breast flesh with a skewer; any juices coming out of the chicken should be clear and the meat should be opaque. If you see any pinkness or blood, cook for a further 5 – 10 minutes. If you use a meat thermometer, the internal temperature of the breast should read 165°F or 75°C.

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.