Baking in parchment is a fantastic way to keep your chicken moist, with minimal fuss. It’s simple and quick – and can be used for tonight’s dinner or for cooking chicken in bulk to be frozen and used later. I taught my college-age son how to cook in parchment and he loves how easy it is. He makes this recipe his own by adding all kinds of veggies and spices to it.
I’ve added some different herb/spice combinations in the notes section for you to experiment with, along with the directions on how to prepare and freeze chicken in bulk.
Parchment Baked Chicken
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
15
minutesCooking Time
25
minutesIngredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
two medium lemons, sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Cut a sheet of parchment paper twice the size of a 9 x 13 pan and fold it in half. Put the parchment paper in the pan and unfold it so that 1/2 of it opens up to the outside, like book pages.
- Place 1/2 the lemon slices on the parchment paper inside the pan.
- Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken on top of the lemon slices in the pan.
- Drizzle each chicken breast with olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste. Top with the remaining lemon slices.
- Fold the parchment paper that’s outside the pan back over to cover the chicken. Fold the edges of the paper together to make a tight seal. Staple the edges if they come apart too easily.
- Bake the chicken breasts until they register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Start checking after 25 minutes so they don’t overbake and dry out.
- If you want to brown the tops, remove the parchment and broil the chicken for a minute or two. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley, if using. Serve immediately or let cool 10-15 minutes before chopping up chicken to use in another recipe.
Notes
- Thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts are nice to use in this recipe but you can also save money by cutting up a whole chicken yourself. The added bonus is that you get dark meat along with the light meat. Cutting up a chicken may seem gross but it’s a great skill for a home cook to have. Try this older Youtube video for cutting up a whole chicken and you’ll feel like a pro in no time.
- Try a few different flavor combinations by eliminating the lemon slices and adding: paprika + dry oregano; OR thyme + sesame seeds + roasted garlic; OR harissa + salt & pepper; OR lemon zest + olive tapenade; OR oregano + marjoram + thyme + basil + rosemary + sage (Italian seasoning); OR smoked paprika + garlic powder + onion powder + oregano + cayenne + thyme (Cajun seasoning)
- Turn this into a more complete meal by adding your preferred combination of tomatoes, onions, shallots, potatoes, green beans, peppers, bok choy, fresh herbs and spices, etc. underneath the chicken before you seal up the parchment. Optional: add a TBSP of white wine with the veggies to deepen the flavor.
- For bulk cooked chicken, prepare 10+ chicken breasts and bake in parchment using the directions above. Let the chicken cool for about 10-15 minutes and then chop or shred it. Pack in plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to use an entire bag of Costco Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts for this. Just thaw the whole bag in the refrigerator overnight.
Simple and delicious. Used this many times. Thank you.
You’re welcome!