Juicy Baked Chicken Tenderloins with Lemon and Dill
Juicy baked chicken tenderloins rolled in butter and seasoned flour, then finished with a lemon, garlic and dill sauce. Serve as is with potatoes or salad, or stir cream into the dish juices for an easy creamy lemon chicken pasta.
Equipment
- 1 shallow bowl
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1⅓ lb chicken tenderloins
- 6 tbsp butter melted
- ½ cup all-purpose flour plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
Lemon sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- ½ to ⅔ tsp dried dill
To finish
- 1 large handful fresh herbs chopped (dill, chives, parsley or spring onion)
- ½ lemon for squeezing
Creamy pasta version (optional)
- 9 oz dried pasta such as egg fettuccine
- ⅔ cup cream crème fraîche or light cream
- ½ cup reserved pasta water plus extra as needed
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F / 200°C / 180°C fan.
- Pat the chicken tenderloins very dry with paper towel.
- Mix the flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a shallow bowl.
- Roll each tenderloin in the melted butter, then in the flour. Shake off the excess.
- Lay the chicken in the baking dish in a single layer with a little space between each piece. Drizzle any leftover butter over the top.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper and dried dill.
- Pour the sauce over and around the chicken. Bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the thickest piece reaches 165°F / 74°C.
- Rest for 5 minutes. Spoon the sauce over, scatter with fresh herbs and finish with a squeeze of lemon.
For the creamy pasta version
- Cook the pasta while the chicken bakes. Save 1 cup (250 ml) of pasta water before draining.
- After step 7, move the chicken to a plate. If your cream is fridge-cold, warm it in the microwave for a few seconds. Slowly stir the cream, then ½ cup pasta water, into the hot juices in the dish.
- Taste and add salt if needed. If the sauce has cooled too much, return the dish to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce, adding a splash more pasta water if it's too thick.
- Top with the chicken, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon.
Notes
- Timing: depends on the size and thickness of your tenderloins, and whether they're straight from the fridge. Start checking at 15 minutes.
- Coating: it's fine if the flour isn't perfectly even or pulls away in spots.
- Tendon: optional. Snip off the thick white end if you like; it's safe to eat but a little chewy.
- Cream: crème fraîche and heavy cream won't split with the lemon. Light cream works because it only warms in the hot dish and doesn't boil. Never put a ceramic or glass dish on the stovetop.
- Sauce amount: Just enough to coat the pasta. You can add more cream and pasta water if you like it saucier.
- Chicken breast: slice into ½ inch (1.5 cm) strips and cook the same way.
- Storage: Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Plain chicken freezes up to 3 months; don't freeze the creamy pasta. Reheat gently with a splash of water.
Nutrition
Serving: 1personCalories: 483kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 34gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 1194mgPotassium: 632mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 724IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 2mg
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