Lemon Chicken Thighs
I had some chicken thighs to use up so I went in search of a recipe. I found one on Simply Recipes that looked and sounded perfect. I adapted it to use what I had on hand and to suit our tastes. I wondered if marinating it in pure lemon juice without any olive oil would make the chicken too tart but it didn’t. It gave a nice lemon and herb flavor without being overpowering. The chicken was moist, tender, and delicious. We all loved it especially my husband. I served this chicken with the Roasted Cauliflower with Fresh Herbs, Parmesan, and Lemon and they paired very well together.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Thighs
Place lemon juice, lemon zest, crushed garlic, thyme leaves, and parsley together in a zip lock bag; mix until well combined. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade. Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated evenly with the marinade. Seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours.
Remove the chicken 20 minutes prior to baking to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
Remove the chicken from the bag and place it on a plate. Season both sides of the chicken evenly & well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place the chicken into the prepared baking dish then drizzle a touch of olive oil on each thigh, if desired. Place into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the juices are running clear. Halfway through baking (around 20 minutes), baste with the remaining marinade. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- 3 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp fresh parsley chopped
- 4 chicken thighs with bone & skin
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place lemon juice, lemon zest, crushed garlic, thyme leaves, and parsley together in a zip lock bag; mix until well combined. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade. Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated evenly with the marinade. Seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours.
- Remove the chicken 20 minutes prior to baking to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
- Remove the chicken from the bag and place it on a plate. Season both sides of the chicken evenly & well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place the chicken into the prepared baking dish then drizzle a touch of olive oil on each thigh, if desired. Place into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the juices are running clear. Halfway through baking (around 20 minutes), baste with the remaining marinade. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy.
This is my favourite kind of recipe and made some similar dishes lately and loved them. I’ve never tried marinating in something simple like lemon juice before, though. I’ll definitely be trying this some time!
These chicken tights look really tasty 🙂
Have a nice day!
Absolutely divine combination of ingredients and flavours pam!!
Cheers,
Lia.
These lemon chicken thighs look droolworthy!
They look and sound delicious Pam – I like lemony everything.
I love lemon chicken 🙂 making me so hungry now
I love bone-in skin-on chicken thighs! So flavorful, and so cheap! Can’t wait to try this lemony version. Sounds delicious!
This looks so easy and delicious…and i love anything with lemon! Perfect for a weeknight dinner 🙂
Why would anyone eat a chicken breast. This looks so juicy and flavorful, throw some potatoes with it and I can serve it Sunday for dinner!!!
This is my idea of a perfect dinner!
Mary
This is quick and easy.!!! The way I like it !!!!!
Lemon and garlic are great with chicken! This looks really easy and delicious.
I use to be a dyed in the wool chicken breast eater. I ate thighs, but always chose breasts first. Just the last couple of years I had a Ding Dong moment—and it wasn’t Avon calling either—-of how much more I enjoyed eating thighs in recipes. Drop a brick on my head —well please don’t. I am a believer now. This looks like a prime example of what I am talking about.
My favorite part of the chicken and lemon makes them even better.
Lemon + chicken thighs = delicous. I use a recipe from Donna Hay all the time. Simply place three rings (for each thigh) of sliced lemons on a baking sheet. Place a chicken thigh on each bunch of lemons and roast. So good.
I so love lemony things! The.boy…not so much. I need to change his tastebuds.
I love everything about this dish!
I can never have enough ideas for chicken thighs, they are inexpensive and under-appreciated. I never would have thought to marinate in straight up lemon, glad to hear it wasn’t too overwhelming. It looks delicious!