This is one of those sauces that’s hard to explain. It’s tangy. It’s flavorful. It’s one of those sauces that will have you coming back for more! It’s a sauce that is good on any type of chicken and pork. Shrimp, too! It’s something different, but easy to make. I promise you that this will be a favorite. Even those pesky picky eaters gobble it up! Believe me, I know… This is a favorite & a go-to in our home! I hope that you will trust me & try it!!!
Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter -or- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
*see update at the bottom of the page
1/3 cup Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Paprika
2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper – fresh cracked
1 tsp Dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp Rosemary ( dried/crushed between fingers )
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp Garlic granules
Instructions:
If using chicken thighs ( around 8 will fit in a 9×13 ) preheat oven to 425 degrees
For chicken breasts ( 4-5 bone in or boneless chicken breasts ) preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and let simmer for at least 2 minutes
Pour the sauce into a 9×13 baking dish
My favorite way to use this sauce is on boneless, skinless chicken thighs. There’s usually 8 thighs in the package that I get.
It has 1 stick of butter, so it doesn’t work well as a marinade, because the butter coagulates when it’s chilled. It is okay to let it sit out for about 20-30 minutes before baking it though
Put the dish in the middle of the preheated oven and bake thighs for 45 minutes
- Set a timer for 15 minutes – Flip the chicken pieces over every 15 minutes. I like to put the thighs under the broiler for a few minutes when they are done, just to lightly crisp the edges. Chicken thighs liked to be really cooked & it’s hard to mess them up!
- If using chicken breast: Flip after 15 minutes. Check them after 30 minutes to ensure they are cooked through. Depending on their size it could take 30 – 45 minutes. When the chicken breasts are cooked through, go ahead and slice them into 1″ pieces and let it sit in the sauce a few minutes before serving.
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Super Yummy Butter Lemon Paprika Sauce | Blue Eyed Soul Food
We JUST tried this on the grill and it was AMAZING!!!We used boneless chicken thighs. I placed them in a 9×13 casserole dish and coated the thighs in the sauce. I pierced them with a knife and made sure that the sauce got in everywhere. I took some tongs and lifted them up out of the dish to ensure that the sauce got underneath, too! Don’t be afraid to toss them around for a few minutes before tossing them on the grill. I had them sitting out for a good 30-40 minutes. It’s important to have the meat at room temperature before grilling to ensure even cooking. The butter did not burn. They were perfect and delicious!!!
Use your imagination and use whatever your family prefers for the protein. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that chicken and pork are cooked through.
If using shrimp, use the jumbo size and get a lot of shrimp! Enough to fill a sheet pan. The sauce goes a long way! I would bake the shrimp at 400 for 15 minutes
*7/4/2018 – Another Update:
I have been using 1/2 cup of olive oil in place of the butter. It works WONDERFULLY!!! The taste is very similar and it does not coagulate like the butter does when marinating. I can’t believe it took me this long to figure that out! HA!
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I can’t believe no one has commented on how good this is! It reminds me of a really good rotisserie chicken recipe my mother used to make called “Roast Sticky Chicken.”
Have you ever tried to make this on the grill? I may end up doing that tonight since we’ve tried it baked and loved it. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Kailey! It is a delicious, flavorful sauce isn’t it!? Every time I make it, I forget how good it is!
I have not grilled with the sauce, but I bet it would be delicious if you go low & slow because of the butter, it may blacken if the heat is too high. Did you try it yet?
Do you cover the chicken when baking?
I don’t cover the chicken, but you certainly could. I baste, sometimes flip every 15 minutes so it doesn’t get dried out and to ensure the sauce gets every into every nook and cranny!
We made this for dinner tonight and it was great. Made extra sauce, but I had quite a bit of chicken thighs. My husband loved it even after I told him there was 1/3 cup lemon juice in it. Really was good. Thinking about letting it marinade longer maybe over night next time or at least a couple of hours. Thank you for this recipe, it will be added to my recipes I’ll use quite often.
Thank you!!! I’m so glad that you made it & likes it as much as we do! 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner and it was awesome! My 12 year old, who is picky, said he really liked it!
Thank You!!! I’m so glad that you’re family enjoyed it. I know, from personal experience that it is hard to please everyone in the family. It’s definitely a favorite in our home.
Have you ever let the sauce cook over boneless skinless chicken in the crockpot
Yes, I have and it is fantastic! Depending on how long you cook it the chicken will vary in texture. I made it to the point where it could be shredded and it was really good. But if you go low and slow, it will hold together and it will intensify the flavor even more!
How many hours in the crockpot would you recommend? Thanks !
This sounds delicious! In the recipe it says garlic granules. Does that mean salt or powder? Can I substitute it for minced? Also, can I use olive oil in place of the butter? Thank you’re!
Granulated garlic is basically the same thing as garlic powder, just a little more concentrated. I’m not sure about the olive oil to be honest with you! If you make it with olive oil, will you please let us know how it turns out?
Thank you!!!
Olive oil is delicious in this sauce! I use the same amount of oil in place of the butter. It works better for a marinade because it doesn’t coagulate like the butter does. It also grills better.
I don’t often leave comments on any site but I just had to for this chicken! I have the pickiest family and everyone loved it! I cut up a whole chicken and poured the sauce over top of it in a 9×13 pan and cooked it low and slow in the oven, basting it occasionally.
I know what that is like!!! It’s hard to find recipes that everyone will enjoy, especially when you have picky kiddos like we do! I’m so glad that you were brave enough to test it out & most of all the you enjoyed it enough to come back and leave feedback! It is very much appreciated!
Would you be able to do this recipe in a crock pot??
Absolutely! See other comments
I cannot wait to try this. I just got a shipment of Penzeys Spices in and I have Paprika (Regular, sweet) and Smoked Paprika. Chicken thighs are my favorite b/c they are so forgiving if cooked a little longer than necessary. In fact, I don’t recall EVER having a dried out thigh, although I wish I could say the same for the Chicken Breasts!! Thank you, I’m going to have to check out your other recipes!
Oh wow! Thank you so much for adding my recipe to your “Go To Dinner Recipes”! A good paprika makes a lot of difference. I haven’t tried smoked or sweet yet, but I bet it would be equally delicious!!! This sauce can definitely be used with chicken breast. I’ve made it many times. I like to slice the cooked chicken breasts into 4 or 5 pieces each and leave them sitting in the sauce for a few minutes before serving. That ensures that yummy sauce is soaking into the meat. So yummy! Thank you again 🙂
[…] Recipe: Butter Lemon Paprika Chicken from Blue Eyed Soul Food […]
Patricia, the recipe is for the sauce that can be used with chicken, or shrimp or pork – whatever you like. When I use it with chicken thighs, the package usually has around 8. It can be used on 4-5 chicken breasts. Enough chicken or pork to fit in a 9×13 would be a good estimate. Hope that helps!
Where i come from its imperative that you thoroughly season the chicken on both sides before you do anything else. My question is, would me seasoning like that and then adding the sauce will that ruin it?
I have never pre-seasoned the chicken before adding it to the sauce. It really does not need it. There’s so much flavor in the sauce, which has S&P in it. It may be too much seasoning. Great question!
Do you use Hungarian sweet paprika or smoked paprika?
I use regular paprika. With the amount that I use I think that smoked paprika would be overwhelming.
Hi Pam, This recipe is amazing. I used smoked paprika and have made it many times — it is a huge hit in my house!
Thank you for the feedback!!! I am so happy to hear that your family loves it. We are not huge smoke flavor fans, but maybe I will have to try it, just to see if maybe it will change our opinion on it 🙂