recipes

Mediterranean Herb Baked Chicken

Olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs make this deeply anti-inflammatory. Stays juicy, slices cleanly, and tastes great cold in a salad or warm over grains.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Marinate time: 2 hours (or overnight)
Cook time: 20–25 minutes
Servings: 4
Storage: Refrigerates 4 days

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Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

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Shopping List

🥩 Meat & Poultry

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

🥬 Produce

• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon (for zest and juice)

🧂 Spices & Oils

• Extra virgin olive oil (need 3 tbsp)
• Dried oregano (need 1½ tsp)
• Dried rosemary (need 1 tsp)
• Ground cumin (need ½ tsp)
• Red pepper flakes (need ½ tsp)
• Salt (need 1 tsp)
• Black pepper (need ½ tsp)

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Instructions

1. Make the marinade. Whisk together olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, oregano, rosemary, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper in a bowl or zip-lock bag.

2. Marinate. Add chicken and massage well to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours — overnight is ideal.

3. Prep for baking. Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange breasts in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan. If any are very thick, butterfly or pound to even thickness so they cook evenly.

4. Bake and rest. Bake 18–25 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F (thinner breasts: ~18 min; thick: up to 25 min). Rest 5–10 minutes before slicing to lock in juices.

5. Slice and store. Slice against the grain into ½-inch pieces. Layer into containers with any pan juices spooned over top.

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Serving Ideas

• Sliced over a Greek salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, red onion, and feta
• In a whole wheat pita with tzatziki and baby spinach
• With roasted sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli
• Cold over arugula with white beans and a lemon vinaigrette

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Why It’s Anti-Inflammatory

Ingredient	Benefit
Extra virgin olive oil	Oleocanthal works similarly to ibuprofen
Garlic	Allicin and sulfur compounds reduce inflammatory markers
Lemon	Vitamin C and flavonoids support immune regulation
Oregano & rosemary	High in antioxidant polyphenols
Red pepper flakes	Capsaicin inhibits a key inflammatory neuropeptide