I love the versatility of One-Skillet Mediterranean Lemon Chicken. This recipe makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner and is also perfect for Sunday meal prep. And with all the flavors going on, you’d never guess it’s low calorie, high protein, gluten free, and sugar free.
No joke. I didn’t know how to spell Mediterranean until about a year ago. It was one of those that I just had to commit to memory. The spelling “rules” from 2nd grade aren’t making sense to me and I just had to remember – not two “t’s,” not two “n’s,” but two “r’s.” This all happened when I became a food service cafe manager and I kept getting red squiggly lines beneath Meditterannean every time I typed. And maybe now that you’ve read my story, you’ll forever remember how to spell One-Skillet Mediterranean Lemon Chicken.
I made a similar recipe back in 2011 when I resolved to make one new recipe per week in the New Year. Hah! I think I made one new recipe in all of January and then I was set. In fairness, I was in school full-time and I was working full-time and — let’s be real — I was lucky I had time to go through the drive-thru some days.
I was also living with a boyfriend at the time… which is nuts. I was such a little baby six years ago, but college grads are just dying to #adult. Anyway, if ya cooked dinner once, it became a sort of “expectation.” And so after One-Skillet Mediterranean Lemon Chicken, I didn’t like cooking anymore.
And so, if you don’t like cooking, the obvious thing to do is start a food blog. (Have I every shared this story? These details need to go in my “About Me.”) I started my food blog because I thought it was my path from clinical nutrition to public relations nutrition. But I wondered, “Is this really a sustainable idea? How long will I have to blog until this plays out? Because I don’t really even like to cook.” (I did do a lot of baking at that time, but very, very little cooking.)
Who, in God’s name, starts a food AND RECIPE blog when she doesn’t even like to cook? I do, my friends. And now I like to cook. Here’s a dietitian factoid: Tiny kids need to be exposed to some foods 15-20 times until they begin to like it. Maybe that works with cooking too. I cooked 15 recipes and then I was like, “Okay, this ain’t so bad. I’ll keep at it.”
Anyway. You guys are the bomb for hanging in this long. You obviously want to hear about One-Skillet Mediterranean Lemon Chicken. Obviously it’s a keeper because I’ve been thinking about it for six years. I remember being nervous to make something new and then thinking how easy it was (I’m sure I clipped the recipe from a health magazine) and being surprised at how delicious the flavors were. I remember it felt really, really great to try something new and to succeed. So even though this was a Last Supper of sorts, the recipe has really positive vibes and it was 100 percent worth bringing back to life six years later.
I love how versatile this recipe is. One-Skillet Mediterranean Lemon Chicken works well for a quick and easy weeknight dinner or as a Sunday meal prep idea — try pairing it with couscous and roasted asparagus. It’s tasty cold, but dark meat and a white wine sauce mean that it reheats well. I love the fresh, bright flavors of lemon and olives. And I love that one serving is right around 200 calories (you would NEVER guess that by tasting it!) and packs in 23 grams of protein.
One-Skillet Mediterranean Lemon Chicken
I love the versatility of One-Skillet Mediterranean Lemon Chicken. This recipe makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner and is also perfect for Sunday meal prep. And with all the flavors going on, you’d never guess it’s low calorie, high protein, gluten free, and sugar free. Excellent with whole grain couscous and roasted asparagus.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
-
Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and add to pan, upside down. Sear 3-5 minutes until golden. Flip over and sear 2-3 more minutes.
-
Pour out any excess fat. Add broth, wine, garlic, olives, and thyme to the skillet. Lay one lemon round on top of each piece of chicken. Transfer skillet to the oven and roast about 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
