Description

This Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken with Lemon Olive Dressing is a flavorful, aromatic dish featuring tender chicken thighs or breasts roasted with garlic, fresh herbs, and butter. The bright and tangy lemon olive dressing with fresh basil, parsley, olives, and a hint of spice perfectly complements the rich chicken, finished with creamy goat cheese for an elegant, easy-to-make dinner.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Chicken and Roasting

6 boneless chicken thighs and/or breasts, skin on or off
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 lemon, halved
4 whole garlic cloves
4 tablespoons salted butter, sliced into 6 pieces

Dressing

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup green olives, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Remaining lemon slices from roasting, finely chopped (rind and all, seeds discarded)
Garlic paste made from mashed roasted garlic cloves

Garnish

4 ounces goat cheese, broken into chunks

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to get it ready for roasting the chicken.
Prepare Chicken: On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, finely chopped garlic cloves, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper to evenly coat. Arrange lemon halves and whole smashed garlic cloves around the chicken, then place a slice of butter on each chicken piece.
Roast Chicken: Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the lemon halves are charred. Watch the lemons and garlic to prevent burning.
Make Dressing: While chicken roasts, combine remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 3/4 cup parsley, 2 tablespoons oregano, chopped basil, green olives, vinegar, and optional fish sauce in a bowl.
Prepare Lemon and Garlic: Remove charred lemon halves and garlic cloves from the baking sheet. Finely chop the lemon halves, including rind (discard seeds), and mash the garlic cloves into a paste. Add half of the chopped lemon and all the garlic paste into the dressing, then season with crushed red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Adjust lemon amount as desired.
Serve: Plate each chicken piece, spoon the lemon olive dressing generously over top, and garnish with chunks of goat cheese.

Notes

You can use either chicken thighs or breasts, bone-in or boneless; bone-in chicken will require an additional 10-15 minutes of cooking time depending on size.
Keep an eye on lemon slices and garlic cloves during roasting to ensure they do not burn.
Fish sauce in the dressing is optional and adds umami depth; omit if preferred or for dietary reasons.
Use fresh herbs for best flavor, but dried can substitute in smaller amounts if needed.
Goat cheese adds a creamy and tangy finish; feta or ricotta could be alternatives.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 450 kcal
Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 350 mg
Fat: 30 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 5 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 35 g
Cholesterol: 120 mg