Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs are juicy, golden brown, and full of zesty, fresh lemon and garlic flavor. An easy weeknight dinner!
A 45-Minute Dinner Recipe
These Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs are golden on the outside, incredibly juicy on the inside. I absolutely love lemon and garlic flavors with chicken. It really lets the flavor of the chicken shine without being overwhelming in flavor. And also, as we get into spring and summer, it’s a nice, lighter (and more affordable) protein option!
These were really good! Made for my wife and she thought this was one of the best things I have made! Thank you for a great recipe (I wouldn’t change a thing!)
– John
Frequently Asked Questions
If you do not like lemon with chicken, this recipe is not for you. We’re using lemon pepper seasoning and fresh lemon juice. This creates a zesty, bright citrus flavor so if that isn’t your thing, then this will seem like a strong lemon flavor to you.
Some of my favorite things to serve with this chicken is Boursin Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Butter Rice, Pesto Pasta, salad and or some steamed veggies.
Ensuring your chicken is cooked can seem a little daunting, but it’s an important skill to learn. Chicken needs to be cooked to 165F internally, at the thickest part of the thighs.
The important thing to remember when checking the internal temp is to use a meat thermometer (paid affiliate link) and to make sure that you don’t accidentally touch the bone. The bone will increase the internal temperature reading and give you a false reading. I know, I know, having another kitchen gadget can feel like one more thing you don’t need, but using a meat thermometer is so essential to cooking meat. And knowing that your food is cooked safely also gives you peace of mind without the guesswork if it is done or not.
Refrigerate cooled chicken in an airtight container within 2 hours, or 1 hour if the room temperature is 90 degrees F or above. Leftovers should be good for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a warm oven.
You can freeze the chicken in meal-size portions in freezer-safe, labeled plastic bags or airtight containers. Use within 3 months for best taste. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- chicken thighs– For the juiciest chicken, use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. You can use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast, but it will cook much faster so keep an eye on the cook time and go by internal temperature. I have not tested this with boneless so cannot give you an exact cook time for that option.
- olive oil – Avocado oil is a great substitute here.
- fresh squeezed lemon juice– I’m a real advocate for using freshly squeezed lemon juice in recipes. I just don’t feel like the bottled stuff does any of the recipes any justice. It’s too acidic tasting for my taste buds and doesn’t actually have a good lemon flavor.
- lemon pepper seasoning – lemon pepper seasoning is such a fabulous all purpose seasoning if you don’t already own it. A lot of people only use it for chicken recipes but it is so good on red meat as well as in pasta salads!
- garlic powder
- chicken bouillon powder– I used the Knorr’s blend of chicken bouillon powder (not a paid affiliate link.)
- dried thyme
- crushed red pepper flakes– this is an optional ingredient, if you don’t want any heat or that type of flavor, simply omit this ingredient.
- salted butter
How To Make Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk together 3 Tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, lemon pepper, garlic powder, chicken bouillon, thyme and red pepper flakes.
Pat the chicken thighs dry. With clean hands or wearing disposable gloves, work your way under the chicken skin on all the pieces until the skin is loosened and you can get to most of the area under the skin. Work the olive oil mixture onto the chicken meat and under the skin, then pull the skin down so it looks normal again. Rub remaining mixture into the chicken skin. Heat 1 Tablespoon each olive oil and butter over medium to medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or oven safe pan.
Sear the chicken thighs, in batches of 3-4 pieces at a time, in the oil-butter mixture for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. It doesn’t need to be cooked all the way. Place the pan into the oven and bake until cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, should read 165 to 175 degrees). This will take 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness and size of the thighs.
NOTE: If your pan is not oven safe, transfer the chicken thighs to an oven safe dish or baking sheet.
Remove the chicken. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh, chopped parsley.
Craving More Recips?
Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil (divided use)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 4 to 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on (about 2-3 pounds)
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
Optional garnishes:
- lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Whisk together 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, ½ teaspoon dried thyme and ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
- Pat 4 to 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on dry. With clean hands or wearing disposable gloves, work your way under the chicken skin on all the pieces until the skin is loosened and you can get to most of the area under the skin.
- Work the olive oil/seasoning mixture onto the chicken meat and under the skin, then pull the skin down so it looks normal again. Rub remaining mixture into the chicken skin.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 1 Tablespoon salted butter over medium to medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or oven safe/skillet.
- Sear the chicken thighs, in batches of 3-4 pieces at a time, in the oil-butter mixture for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. It doesn’t need to be cooked all the way (you're just getting them brown).
- If not using an oven safe pan, transfer the chicken to an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet or baking dish.
- Place the pan onto the middle rack of the oven and bake until cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, should read 165F degrees). This will take 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness and size of the thighs.
- Remove the chicken. Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley (if using). Then serve.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
These were really good! Made for my wife and she thought this was one of the best things I have made! Thank you for a great recipe (I wouldn’t change a thing!)
Is there something other than the chicken bouillon powder that can be substituted. I’m allergic to MSG and that’s part of the ingredients listed.
Just use a brand that doesn’t include it, not all of them do 🙂 I think maybe Herbox brand is MSG free and there are others that don’t include it
I use a similar recipe for wings in my air fryer