Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
on Jun 20, 2024, Updated Jan 18, 2025
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Fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic are all you need to turn juicy chicken thighs into a company-worthy meal.
I think if forced to choose one cut of chicken for roasting, it would have to be the thigh. The meat stays rich and juicy while the skin crisps up. The dark meat is also hard to overcook, even if you get distracted (ahem) and end up leaving the chicken thighs in the oven for an extra 10 or 20 minutes longer. Serve these baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Easy Cheesy Rice with Broccoli, Creamed Spinach, Fresh Green Beans, or Mashed Potato Pancakes.
You’ll want to marinate this chicken for at least 6 hours to get the deepest flavor. This is a delightfully garlicky chicken, but if you think a smaller amount of garlic would be more to your family’s liking, reduce the amount to 1 or 2 teaspoons instead of a tablespoon. The herbal notes of sage, rosemary, and thyme go so well with the lemon and garlic.
Table of Contents
Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs: Fresh herbs, lemon and garlic are all you need to turn juicy chicken thighs into a company-worthy meal.
Ingredients for Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Chicken thighs – Bone-in, skin-on for this baked chicken recipe!
- Garlic – Reduce the amount if your family isn’t garlic lovers, but we all love the pronounced garlicky flavor!
- Sage, Thyme, and Rosemary – This complimentary trio of herbs is perfection. I prefer using fresh for all of them, but if you want to substitute dried, just sub in 1/3 teaspoon for any or all of them.
- Lemons – The chicken bakes right on the lemon slices, infusing them with flavor, then the roasted lemon is served with the chicken.
- Arugula – This is just for serving and is optional, but I just love the way the juices of this savory, citrusy, herby, garlicky chicken mingle with the peppery greens.
- Country bread – You are not going to want to leave any of the roasting juices on the plate!
How to Make Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Make the rub and marinate: In a small food processor, blend together the garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and olive oil. Rub the paste over the chicken thighs, getting the mixture under the skin. Cover and refrigerate from 6 to 24 hours.
- Roast the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the lemon slices in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Place the marinated chicken on top of the lemon. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a sharp knife (an internal temperature of 165 F with an instant-read thermometer), and the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Move to serving dish: Line a serving platter with arugula, if desired. Transfer the chicken to the serving platter, with the lemon slices interspersed.
- Caramelize pan juices and pour over chicken: Place the baking dish over a burner set to medium-high heat and simmer the juices in the pan, scraping to loosen any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the sauce around the chicken (rather than over it) to keep the skin crispy. Pass chunks of bread around so people can sop up some of the delicious sauce on the platter.
Kitchen Smarts
Chicken thighs roast up beautifully with all kinds of herbs, and if you have easy access to multiple fresh herbs, you can rustle up some very sophisticated and nicely flavored thighs by using a blend. I used sage, thyme, and rosemary, but you would still have delicious chicken thighs if you wanted to use just one herb. This is a great way to use up leftover herbs or to take advantage of that lovely herb garden you have been working on.
What to Serve With Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
More Roasted Chicken Thigh Recipes
- Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Thighs
- Yogurt-Marinated Chicken
- Chicken Thighs Stuffed With Mushrooms
- Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
- Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
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Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs (about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
- 3 lemons (thinly sliced)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Arugula (for the serving platter; optional)
- Country bread (to serve; optional)
Instructions
- In a small food processor, blend together the garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and olive oil. Rub the paste over the chicken thighs, getting the mixture under the skin. Place in a container with a lid or in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate from 6 to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. While the oven preheats, bring the chicken to room temperature. Place the lemon slices in a 13×9-inch baking pan. Place the marinated chicken on top of the lemon. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a sharp knife (an internal temperature of 165 F), and the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Line a serving platter with arugula, if desired. Transfer the chicken to the serving platter, with the lemon slices interspersed.
- Place the baking dish over a burner set to medium-high heat and simmer the juices in the pan, scraping to loosen any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the sauce around the chicken to keep the skin crispy, but (and hopefully you are entertaining people you really like) pass chunks of bread around so people can sop up some of the delicious sauce on the platter.
