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This garlic lemon chicken is an awesome recipe of lemony chicken with tons of garlic. The trick here is that we’re using chicken thighs, which are packed with flavor and are wonderfully tender. Minimum ingredients. Maximum flavor. We’re making an awesome dinner tonight!
Roast Chicken
There’s just something so wholesome and heartwarming about roast chicken. One of the best parts of the chicken for cooking with is the legs, or thighs. Some people don’t love dark meat, but that’s OK. More for the rest of us! If you’re a chicken breast aficionado, just give this recipe a try with the thighs and enjoy the flavorsome, tender chicken.
Thighs vs Breasts
Chicken thighs with the bone in and skin on/off are a very inexpensive cut of meat. They’re really versatile and are perfect for just about any dish. Stir fries, curries, stews, roasts… chicken thighs can do it all. You can use chicken breasts in this recipe if you want, but chicken breast, with its lower fat content, is also lower in flavor.
You’ll Need
How To Make Garlic Lemon Chicken
- The first thing we need to do for this lemon chicken recipe is sear the meat in the pan. While the meat is searing, preheat your oven to 425 F, or 220 C. Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel to ensure maximum crispiness. Sear your chicken in a hot skillet. Use medium high heat.
- We’re using salt and lemon pepper as our seasoning. This prevents any other more delicate seasonings from burning in the skillet. Sear your bone-in chicken thighs without disturbing them for a solid eight minutes.
- When you’ve got a nice sear, add the unpeeled garlic cloves, pour the lemon juice and stock, then add oregano and thyme. Cover with foil and transfer your pan or skillet to a hot oven and roast for twenty five to thirty minutes. Do this until your chicken is done and cooked through to the bone and garlic is soft. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your chicken to check for doneness.
- You can baste your chicken with pan juices while serving. And squeeze the buds of garlic onto the bread and spread like butter.
Seasoning Garlic Lemon Chicken
When you’ve seared your chicken, it’s time to boost the flavor. The best way to improve your chicken’s flavor and really bring out the best in your meal is some perfectly chosen seasonings.
When you’ve seared both sides of your chicken, move it to the side in the pan. Make sure there’s enough room for your other ingredients. At this point, it’s the perfect time to add your seasonings and flavors! Our seasoning mix for this recipe is:
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Garlic
- Unpeeled 30 garlic cloves
Add the garlic to your pan juices after the chicken has seared. It should become fragrant at after about thirty seconds, at which point you add your other ingredients. The oregano and thyme bring a wonderful aromatic, woody flavor to your chicken.
You’re probably wondering where the lemony flavor in this recipe comes from. Well, before adding your herbs to the pan, you’ll be pouring in lemon juice, about a quarter cup’s worth, and 1/3 cup of chicken stock or bone broth. If you want to add heaps of extra flavor, this is a great time to start cooking with wine! A quarter of a cup of wine instead of chicken stock is a great addition to this recipe. White wine goes really well with lighter, brighter citrus flavors, so try it!
Make sure you have some lemon slices and thyme sprigs. This is how we’ll be garnishing the chicken! You should taste test your pan sauce/juices before serving. You can adjust the flavor profile slightly by adding salt and pepper a little at a time. Remember, you can always add more, but it’s impossible to remove salt once there’s too much in the food.
Best Sides for Roast Chicken
Roast chicken is wonderfully versatile and we have plenty of sides to recommend for you. Love potatoes? Try Mashed Potatoes, or some Potato Wedges. Smashed potatoes, sweet or regular, is another great accompaniment. Roast Green Beans can offer some lovely verdant crunch. You might also want to try roast carrots, asparagus, or a salad. We love salads with plenty of flavor like Fattoush, Pesto Mayo Potato Salad, and feta, or a nice pasta salad like Tortellini Pasta Salad for a hearty, carb-y side.
One Pan Chicken Recipes
Honey Mustard Chicken and Vegetables
Sheet Pan Hummus Crusted Chicken Breast
Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Balsamic Chicken Baked in Oven
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I will be happy to hear from you!
Lemon Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6-8 chicken thighs skin off or on, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 30 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup chicken stock or broth
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 2-3 thyme sprigs and fresh parsley to garnish
Serving
- Lemon slices
- French bread
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 F |220 C.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Season with salt and lemon pepper.
- Heat oil in a large oven-proof pan or skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken and sear the chicken about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and sear for another 8 minutes.
- Move chicken to the side, add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the unpeeled garlic cloves, pour the lemon juice and stock, then add oregano and thyme.
- Cover the pan/skillet with aluminum foil. Transfer the chicken to the preheated oven and roast until completely cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and thyme sprigs.
- Serve with lemon slices.
- Squeeze the buds of garlic onto the bread and spread like butter.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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