Are you looking for an easy, weeknight meal packed with flavor that doesn’t require much cleanup? This One-Skillet Lemon Chicken with Summer Squash is the answer. The chicken and squash are cooked in a bright lemony sauce with garlic and oregano. With just a handful of ingredients, this dish comes together quickly and can be on your table in just 30 minutes.
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One-pan recipes are a lifesaver on busy weeknights. Not only do they require minimal effort to prepare, but they also make cleanup a breeze. This lemon chicken recipe is one of our favorites.
This dish is full of flavor and can be on the table in just 30 minutes. It is an ideal choice to quickly prepare a flavorful and healthy meal after a long stressful day. And cleanup is a breeze, thanks to the minimal number of pots and pans used.
Ingredients to use for this recipe
- Chicken breasts
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Red onion
- Fresh lemon juice
- Dried oregano
- Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
How to make the One-Skillet Lemon Chicken with Summer Squash
- Prepare the marinade by mixing olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and minced garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Place the cubed chicken in a large bowl and pour half the marinade on top. Toss to combine and set aside.
- Add the sliced zucchini and yellow squash to the original bowl with the marinade and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and develops some color, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Add the seasoned chicken into the hot skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the chicken and onions to a platter. Set aside.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the seasoned zucchini and yellow squash to the skillet. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and nicely browned, approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Return the chicken, onions, and juices to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon juice, chopped parsley, and springs of fresh basil. Serve immediately with additional lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes and Tips
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Instead, give the chicken pieces space to get that nice golden brown sear for added flavor.
Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the brightest, freshest flavor.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Breasts?
I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken breast in this recipe, but You can use any cut of chicken you’d like.
Remember that you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly depending on the cut of meat you use and how large you dice the chicken.
Can I Add More Veggies to This Chicken Skillet?
Definitely! This One-Skillet Lemon Chicken with Summer Squash pairs well with many other vegetables. You can add other seasonal produce that cooks at about the same rate as the zucchini and squash. That way, all vegetables will cook simultaneously, and you will not have to remove some veggies from the skillet to accommodate different cook times.
Also, you can replace the zucchini and yellow squash with other seasonal vegetables. However, remember that you must adjust the cooking time to the doneness of the veggies you are using.
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken Provençal with Tomatoes and Olives
Sheet Pan Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs with Vegetables
Chicken with Green Olives and Capers
More One Pan Recipes
Sheet Pan Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs with Vegetables
Roasted Salmon with Fennel, Tomatoes and Potatoes
One-Skillet Lemon Chicken with Summer Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lbs chicken breasts cubed
- 1 small zucchini (or ½ large) sliced thin and cut into half rounds
- 1 small yellow squash (or ½ large) sliced thin and cut into half rounds
- ½ large red onion thinly sliced
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice divided
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
- Sprigs of fresh basil for garnish
- Small lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade by mixing 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oregano, and minced garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Place the cubed chicken in a large bowl and pour half the marinade on top. Toss to combine and set aside.
- Add the sliced zucchini and yellow squash to the original bowl with the marinade and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the remaning tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and develops some color, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Add the seasoned chicken into the hot skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer the chicken and onions to a platter. Set aside.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the seasoned zucchini and yellow squash to the skillet. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and nicely browned, approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Return the chicken, onions, and juices to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle with the remaining lemon juice, chopped parsley, and springs of fresh basil. Serve immediately with additional lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Breasts?
 I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken breast in this recipe, but You can use any cut of chicken you’d like. Remember that you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly depending on the cut of meat you use and how large you dice the chicken.Can I Add More Veggies to This Chicken Skillet?
Definitely! This One-Skillet Lemon Chicken with Summer Squash pairs well with many other vegetables. You can add other seasonal produce that cooks at about the same rate as the zucchini and squash. That way, all vegetables will cook simultaneously, and you will not have to remove some veggies from the skillet to accommodate different cook times. Also, you can replace the zucchini and yellow squash with other seasonal vegetables. However, remember that you must adjust the cooking time to the doneness of the vegNutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Watermelon Mint Lemonade
The print option does not work.
Hi Pam,
Sorry to hear that you have difficulties printing the recipe card. Not sure why this didn’t work for you. I tested it again, and it works perfectly.
Print button didnt work for me either. So I copied the recipe & printed it out via word with no issues. Look forward to trying this. Thank you!
I am sorry that the print function did not work for you either. I will contact the developer and ask to fix it. Thank you bor bringing it to my attention.
Looks wonderful and I’m planning to try! One question: for how long should the chicken sit in the marinade before cooking?
Great question! Just let the chicken cubes marinate while you are preparing the vegetables. Because the chicken is cut into small pieces, it does not need to sit in the marinade for a long time.
Worked like a charm! A wonderful recipe – easy and so delicious. This has instantly become one of my go-to favorites.
Thank you. I am so glad you liked this!
DELICIOUS!! My cooking skills from 1-10 is a 1, however, this recipe was easy to follow and it came out amazing! I could not put my fork down! (I finally did) :-)) Thank you!
Hi Lorraine,
Thank you for your kind comment. I am so glad that you liked this recipe! It is one of my go-to weeknight recipes because it is so easy and quick to make!