Golden Chicken Breasts with Roasted Lemon, Olives & Capers
A bright, briny skillet chicken dish with roasted lemon slices, green olives, and capers, served over wilted spinach with crispy breadcrumbs.
- Prep15 min
- Cook20 min
- Total35 min
- DifficultyEasy
- Servings4
This recipe turns simple chicken breasts into a restaurant-quality dinner with a punchy, savory sauce. The roasted lemons soften and sweeten, while the olives and capers add a briny kick.
It's a quick, one-pan meal that feels special but comes together in about 35 minutes. Serve it with the garlicky wilted spinach for a complete, satisfying plate.
Ingredients
Servings
Converted amounts are rounded.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil on the parchment, then arrange the lemon slices in a single layer. Drizzle the lemons lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the lemons begin to brown around the edges.
- Meanwhile, heat a large, deep skillet. Add the spinach and cook over high heat, tossing, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a strainer; press out the liquid. Wipe out the skillet and heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in it. Add the bread crumbs and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until toasted, 2 minutes. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- In a deep medium skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with the flour, shaking off the excess. Cook the chicken over high heat, turning once, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the olives, capers and stock and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the stock is reduced by about two-thirds, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted lemons, butter and parsley, season with salt and pepper and simmer just until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the chicken to plates and spoon the sauce on top. Serve the spinach on the side.
💡 Tips
- For extra flavor, use a good-quality chicken stock.
- If you don't have parchment paper, you can roast the lemons directly on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
- Make sure to pat the chicken dry before flouring for a better crust.
Inspired by a recipe from Food & Wine