Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

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These lemon-garlic chicken thighs get a savory boost from lots of fresh thyme. The recipe takes just 15 minutes to put together and is ready after an hour in the oven.

Active Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Servings:
4

You can pull off perfectly tender and juicy oven-baked chicken thighs with golden crispy skin and loads of roasted lemon and garlic flavor on a weeknight with this recipe. As a bonus, you'll blend the pan drippings into a velvety and deeply savory sauce that tastes terrific alongside mashed or roasted potatoes. You can even assemble the lemon garlic chicken thighs a day in advance and store it in the fridge, ready to bake for an hour as you prep any side dishes. For your grocery list, you'll just need to pick up eight chicken thighs, a couple lemons, garlic, and a package of fresh thyme. (Oh, and feel free to use a garlic press if it helps speed up your prep process a bit).

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Ingredients

  • 8 (7-ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

  • 1 medium lemon, plus more for serving

  • 16 peeled garlic cloves, divided (from 1 large head)

  • 1 (1/2-ounce) package fresh thyme sprigs, divided

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey, plus more to taste

Directions

  1. Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    Diana Chistruga

    Gather the ingredients.

  2. Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    Diana Chistruga

    Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels; set aside. Cut lemon in half lengthwise, then into thirds crosswise; discard seeds. Finely grate 4 garlic cloves on a microplane grater.

  3. Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    Diana Chistruga

    Arrange lemon slices, grated garlic, remaining 12 garlic cloves, and half of thyme sprigs in a single layer in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish; toss briefly to disperse the grated garlic.

  4. Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    Diana Chistruga

    Place chicken thighs over lemon mixture, skin side up, in a single layer. Drizzle chicken thighs with olive oil and season evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.

  5. Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    Diana Chistruga

    Bake until chicken skin is a deep golden brown and a thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165°F, about 1 hour. Transfer chicken to a serving platter, reserving lemon mixture in the baking dish.

  6. Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    Diana Chistruga

    Remove lemon pieces from baking dish and discard. Pour remaining drippings, including garlic cloves and thyme sprigs, into a blender. Secure lid on blender and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening.

  7. Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken ThighsLemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    Diana Chistruga

    Process until smooth, about 30 to 40 seconds. Add honey and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to sauce mixture and stir to combine, adding more salt or honey as desired.

  8. Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

    Diana Chistruga

    Remove thyme leaves from remaining sprigs and sprinkle evenly over chicken thighs. Serve thighs with sauce and additional lemon wedges, if desired.

Lemon and Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs

Diana Chistruga

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