These Lemon Garlic Chicken Parchment Packets are the simple healthy weeknight dinner you’ve been waiting for! Plus, clean-up is a breeze!
Your whole family will love the combination of savory boneless chicken, thinly sliced summer squash, green olives, and sweet cherry tomatoes—the zippy lemon and garlic marinade tastes great on EVERYTHING!
Parchment packets are customizable!
I’ve been on a parchment packet kick lately, throwing together different proteins, vegetables, and sauces in a tidy paper package, which I then toss into the oven. I don’t normally have a game plan when I assemble these pouches. Instead, I just figure out what’s in my fridge and pantry, and use whatever’s available.
By dinnertime, everyone gets an individual bundle filled with saucy meat and veggies that can be served over cauliflower rice, roasted veggies, or white rice (yes, we eat white rice occasionally without too many issues). These parchment packets are easy to make, and the kids enjoy opening up a new “gift” every night.
Can you make chicken foil packets?
Yes! I like using parchment for these packets because I always have a roll in my kitchen. However, aluminum foil also works and it’s even easier to tightly seal packets made with foil. Warning: Do not use wax paper for these packets because it isn’t heat-safe and no one wants melted wax all over their dinner.
How do you know when the parchment packet is ready?
If this is your first time making parchment packets, it can be hard to know when everything is cooked without opening them up. How do you know if the chicken is safe to eat? Stab the packet with a meat thermometer!
Chicken thighs are harder to overcook (and one of the reasons I prefer using them in this recipe) and they are ready to take out when the temperature in the meatiest part reaches 165°F. If you’re cooking chicken breasts, the finished cooking temperature is about 150°F—and you should start checking the temperature at the 15 minute mark.
No meat thermometer? Designate one packet as the sacrificial lamb and open it up at the 18 minute mark. Cut the piece of chicken to check that it’s cooked through and no longer pink. (Order my favorite meat thermometer for next time!)
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts: Both will work, but I always prefer thighs because you are less likely to overcook them.
- Summer squash or zucchini: Use whatever you have, but make sure to cut them into thin coins.
- Shallot, thinly sliced: I love the mild taste of shallots, but thinly sliced chives, green onions, white onions, or yellow onions will work. Slice them THIN so they cook evenly!
- Pitted green olives: My fave type of olives are mild and buttery Castelvetrano olives.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Fresh garlic
- Dried oregano
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
How to make Garlic Chicken Packets
Heat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Add the chicken and marinate for 10 minutes and up to 2 hours. (Don’t go too long because the acidic marinade will make the texture kinda funky.)
Grab 4 large sheets of parchment paper, and fold each piece in half. Draw half a heart on each piece of paper so that when you cut them out, you get full hearts.
Open up the parchment pieces and lay them flat. Tile ¼ of the summer squash and/or zucchini on one side of the crease in each heart. Add some shallot rings on top, and sprinkle the veggies with salt and pepper.
Place a chicken thigh on top of the vegetables…
…and spoon two tablespoons of marinade onto the chicken.
Top with ¼ of the olives and cherry tomatoes.
Repeat with all 3 packets.
Fold the other half of each parchment heart on top of the chicken and tightly crimp the edges together, starting at the top-center of the heart. Make sure each packet is tightly sealed by turning and crimping the edges. At the pointed bottom end of the hearts, twist the paper to seal well.
Place the packets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken thighs register an internal cooking temperature of 165°F. (How do you know the temperature without opening the package? Stab the packet with a meat thermometer! By the way, if you’re cooking chicken breasts, the finished cooking temperature is 150°F—and you should start stabbing at the 15 minute mark.)
Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut open the packets as soon as they’re done cooking (but be careful—the escaping steam is hot!).
Ho, ho, ho! You did it, Kitchen Santa!
More parchment or foil packet recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
Lemon Garlic Chicken Parchment Packets
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (about 6 ounces each)
- 4 medium summer squash thinly sliced into coins
- 1 large shallot thinly sliced
- 8 pitted green olives cut in half
- 8 cherry tomatoes cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the chicken and marinate for 10 minutes and up to 2 hours. (Don’t go too long because the acidic marinade will make the texture kinda funky.)
- Grab 4 large sheets of parchment paper, and fold each piece in half. Draw half a heart on each piece of paper so that when you cut them out, you get full hearts.
- Open up the parchment pieces and lay them flat. Tile ¼ of the summer squash and/or zucchini on one side of the crease in each heart. Add some shallot rings on top, and sprinkle the veggies with salt and pepper.
- Place a chicken thigh on top of the vegetables, and spoon two tablespoons of marinade onto the chicken. Top with ¼ of the olives and cherry tomatoes. Repeat with all 3 packets.
- Fold the other half of each parchment heart on top of the chicken and tightly crimp the edges together, starting at the top-center of the heart. Make sure each packet is tightly sealed by turning and crimping the edges. At the pointed bottom end of the hearts, twist the paper to seal well.
- Place the packets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken thighs register an internal cooking temperature of 165°F. (How do you know the temperature without opening the package? Stab the packet with a meat thermometer! By the way, if you’re cooking chicken breasts, the finished cooking temperature is 150°F—and you should start stabbing at the 15 minute mark.)
- Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut open the packets as soon as they’re done cooking (but be careful—the escaping steam is hot!).
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are so easy and SO delicious! My family feels extra special receiving a ‘gift’ in parchment for dinner. Thank you for making me look like a skilled chef–your recipes are amazing!
So excited to say I had both your books delivered yesterday 🥳 stayed up half the night looking at them. I can’t wait to try the recipes. Shame we can’t get some of the ingredients in Scotland like plantain but I’ll make do with what we have.
Love your blog and recipes 💗
Thank you! Happy cooking!
Awesome gift to yourself! Well worth it!
Can the packets be refrigerated after cooking for leftovers? Or should I scale back.for one serving.
You can refrigerate the leftovers! I would just transfer them to a glass container to reheat them.
Thank you for the video! A great recipe and the extra tips in the video really helped as well.
I got the ingredients, and printed out this recipe and my son Steven made this dish tonight and it was incredible. Thank you so much for what you do you have made cooking easier way more fun and beyond delicious. Steve is autistic and your books have taught him not only how to cook but have shown him how to cook step-by-step I cannot thank you enough. Every recipe we have ever tried out of any of your books (we have them all) have always come out beyond good. And this one was no exception it definitely is going on rotation.