If you’re looking for a delicious lunch or dinner option using chicken thighs, you’ve hit the jackpot. This lemon rosemary chicken thighs are packed with tangy lemon flavour and fragrant rosemary, making it a favourite for any season. It’s an easy recipe to make and there are a few tips you can follow to get an optimum result.
How to make lemon rosemary chicken thighs
To begin, you want to marinate the chicken thighs in lemon juice, salt and pepper. You want to let the chicken soak there for 1 hour or 2 hours maximum. Then, you will sear the chicken in a pan. Searing for the lemon rosemary chicken thighs ensures a golden and tasty crust on the chicken. That’s hard to get by skipping this step and going straight into the oven. The chicken then goes into the baking dish and waits until we finish with the quick sauce.
In the same pan with all that golden flavour, we cook the onion, lemon zest, rosemary and garlic. We finish by adding a bit of white wine or it could also be water. This forms a sauce that gets poured onto the chicken before going into the oven. The sauce will also mix with the chicken juices making it perfect for serving over rice or potatoes. Always remember that if you have a meat thermometer, the temperature that we need the chicken at before removing it from the oven is 73℃/164℉. Follow these steps and you’ll get juicy and tasty lemon rosemary chicken thighs.
Ingredients for lemon rosemary chicken thighs
To make this dish, you’ll need:
- Chicken thighs: I personally prefer my chicken thighs without the skin, but if you love it with skin, please go ahead and keep it on. You could also use breasts if you prefer.
- Fresh lemons: this is the heart of the dish. The zest and juice from the fresh lemons will add lots of flavour to the chicken.
- Fresh rosemary: Rosemary adds the herby component to the dish. It can be swapped for dried rosemary, but nothing compares to the fresh product.
- Olive oil and butter: This pairing is perfect. Butter gets the chicken deliciously golden while searing. The olive oil adds more flavour and also prevents the butter from burning. It’s a win-win all around!
- Onion and garlic: I mean, where would we be without onion and garlic? It makes a dish all the more enjoyable.
- White wine: This is added to the onion for the lemon rosemary chicken thighs to make a sauce. It adds even more flavour. You can substitute it for chicken stock or simply water.
Serving Suggestions
Lemon rosemary chicken thighs are a versatile dish that can be served with a variety of sides. Some classic options include delicious white rice, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus, or a simple green salad. For a heartier meal, try serving the chicken over a bed of quinoa or wild rice. You could also pair it with a side of roasted root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes.
Variations
Lemon rosemary chicken thighs are incredibly versatile and can be adapted to suit your taste preferences. Try adding other herbs, like thyme or oregano, for a different flavour profile. You can also experiment with different citrus fruits, like oranges or grapefruits, to add a unique twist to the dish. The possibilities are endless, so don’t be afraid to get creative in the kitchen! If you have any leftovers, you can chop the chicken up and serve it with tortillas or pita bread for a delicious wrap or sandwich.
More chicken recipes
Listen, I’m Peruvian and chicken is the main protein in day-to-day life. I love good chicken recipes which of course means that there are more where this one came from. If you love my lemon rosemary chicken thighs, you’re sure to love these recipes as well:
Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 900 g chicken thighs (6 average-sized)
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the lemon rosemary chicken thighs
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion cut in small cubes
- 2 tsp chopped rosemary
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced, grated or puréed
- 100 ml white wine or chicken stock or water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the marinade
- I like my chicken thighs without skin, but you can keep them on if you prefer. Mix the chicken with the lemon, salt and pepper and marinate for 1 hour or 2 hours tops.
For the lemon rosemary chicken thighs
- Preheat a pan to medium-high heat.
- Add about a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of olive oil and add enough chicken thighs to cover the base of the pan; don't overcrowd it. Let it sear on that side without moving it around for 2-3 minutes. Flip and repeat.
- Remove the thighs from the pan and into the baking dish where they'll be going into the oven. Repeat with the rest of the chicken thighs.
- In the same pan, add the onion, lemon zest and rosemary and sautée for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. If needed, add more fat.
- Add the garlic and stir for a minute to cook.
- Add the white wine and let it reduce until it thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake at 180℃/350℉ for 30-40min or until the centre of the thighs reach 73℃/164℉.
- Serve hot over rice, with a fresh salad or mashed potatoes.
