Lemon Chicken and Roasted Broccoli Recipe

When I want to eat healthy, but I’m also feeling lazy, this is the perfect recipe. It’s so quick and easy to make, but so good for you too! Plus, I don’t know about you, but I really love me some lemon chicken! Let’s just get right into it. 🙂

Serves 4
For the entire meal, it’s 314 calories, 30 grams of carbs, 2.5 grams of fat and 34 grams of protein.
For just the chicken, it’s 128 calories, 1 gram of carbs, 1.2 grams of fat and 26 grams of protein.
For just the broccoli, it’s 83 calories, 13.7 grams of carbs, 1.8 grams of fat and 6.5 grams of protein.
Rice calories are on the box.  
*Please note that calories and macros are per serving. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast (I like to get thin sliced)
Lemon Juice (about 6 Tbsp for the chicken, 2 Tbsp for the broccoli)
Olive Oil Spray (I use Pam brand)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
2 Broccoli Heads
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 Bags of White Rice (I use Uncle Ben’s Boil-in-Bag)

INSTRUCTIONS:
I like to first start with the broccoli. Set the oven to 475 degrees. I really like my broccoli crispy, so this temperature is perfect! Since we are going for the crispiness, the broccoli has to be sliced as thinly as possible. This can get tricky, but just do your best. Keeping a bit of the stalk on there helps as well; it makes it easier to slice. 
*NOTE: Before you begin cutting, after you rinse your broccoli, set it on a paper towel to catch some of the water. Once you’re done cutting, lay a paper towel on top and press down. Getting as much moisture out as possible helps it cook more crispy.

Once your broccoli is all chopped up, dry it off (as noted above). Get your olive oil spray and spray a large baking sheet. Spread the broccoli evenly throughout the pan so you have a flat layer of broccoli. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the pan to your preference. Evenly sprinkle roughly 2 tablespoons of garlic powder (or less if you choose – I just really love garlic) and 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes over the broccoli. Do the same with the lemon juice and Parmesan. Sprinkle the lemon juice to your preference, but I used about 2 tablespoons. Once all of that is on top, I like to give the broccoli a quick spray with the olive oil spray – this is another method that will help give the broccoli that crispiness I desire!

Once your pan is all set, put the broccoli in the oven and set a timer for fifteen minutes. *NOTE FOR LATER: Once the timer is done, take your broccoli out, flip it, and set back in the oven for eight more minutes.

While the broccoli cooks in the oven, set a pot of water to boil for the rice. While waiting for the water to boil, prep the chicken. Cut the chicken into strips. I like to cut the tendons out, personally. Once you’re done cutting the chicken, lay saran wrap or wax paper over top of it and pound it a bit with a mallet. I prefer to use thin sliced chicken, because it needs a lot less pounding and is easier to cook evenly. Once you’re done with that, rub salt and pepper into both sides of the chicken. 

At this point, your water should be boiling. Go ahead and set your rice in there for ten minutes. Spray a frying pan with olive oil and cook the chicken. Sprinkle some lemon juice on top of the chicken while in the pan. I like to cook it for three minutes on one side on medium heat, then one more minute with the lid on for medium low heat (this helps cook the insides). Then flip it, sprinkle more lemon juice on the other side, and cook for three more minutes on medium heat. Finally, I like to cook for one more minute on medium high heat. This helps the outside get a bit crispy, but the inside will stay tender. Once you’re done cooking the chicken, it should look like this: 

If you haven’t already, complete the second step of the broccoli noted above. Take it out of the oven, flip each piece over, then set back in the oven for eight more minutes. Once it’s done, serve and enjoy! 

And that’s it! Easy peasy. If you try out this recipe, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below! What is your favorite healthy dinner recipe? Let me know!