Name: Italian Dressing Chicken Breasts
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice; 1¾ teaspoons table salt , divided; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; ½ teaspoon pepper; 4 (10- to 12-ounce) bone-in chicken breast , trimmed; 1½ tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a version of Italian dressing–marinated chicken without highly processed, store-bought marinades or bottled dressings. For a lively and fresh spin on an old favorite, we started by marinating bone-in chicken breasts (which are less expensive and more flavorful than boneless chicken breasts). We whisked together a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil, grated Parmesan (which added savory flavor and helped boost browning), minced fresh garlic, lemon zest, a little sugar for balance, salt and pepper, pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning and marinated the chicken for at least an hour (or up to one day) to allow the marinade to permeate the meat. To achieve crispy, brown skin, we rendered out some of the fat in the chicken skin, starting in a cold nonstick skillet, before roasting the chicken in the oven. Before slicing the cooked chicken, we let the breasts rest for 10 minutes to let the meat relax (it contracts during cooking), which helped it better hold on to its juices when sliced. Adding lemon juice and minced fresh parsley to the pan drippings created a flavorful sauce that we could pour over the sliced chicken breasts.

Before You Begin

Use a rasp-style grater to grate the Parmesan. You can use store-bought Italian seasoning or make your own (see "More From Cook's Country").

Instructions

Combine Parmesan, oil, garlic, lemon zest, 1½ teaspoons salt, sugar, Italian seasoning, pepper flakes, and pepper in large bowl. Transfer chicken to bowl with marinade and turn to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken, skin side down, in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet; reserve any marinade left in bowl. Set skillet over medium heat and cook until skin is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Flip chicken, add any reserved marinade to skillet, and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until chicken registers 160 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let chicken rest in skillet for 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Stir parsley, lemon juice, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt into pan juices, scraping up any browned bits. Carve meat off bone and slice each breast crosswise ½ inch thick; transfer to platter. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.