Lemon Rosemary Chicken
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This oven-baked lemon rosemary chicken is made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a juicy, tender result. The rich lemon and rosemary sauce ads a lot of flavor to the chicken and tastes delicious poured over rice or couscous.
It’s an easy weeknight dinner recipe, with a quick prep and minimal cleanup.
You will need 10 ingredients including salt and pepper.
How to make lemon rosemary chicken thighs
- Season thighs with salt, pepper and chopped rosemary.
- Toss with onion, garlic, olive oil, honey and lemon juice in a baking dish.
- Add lemon slices and rosemary sprigs.
- Bake at 400°F until tender.
- Broil 1 to 3 minutes for browning, if you like.
Substitutions
- Boneless chicken thighs: Bone-in are the best alternative. These both are the juiciest parts of the bird.
- Olive oil: If you don’t have it on hand, don’t substitute with another oil. Simply use butter. Have you tried making homemade butter. It’s so easy.
- Chicken stock: You can use water or vegetable stock instead.
- Lemons: Fresh lemon gives the best flavor here. Bottled lemon juice will work, but the sauce won’t taste as bright.
Serving ideas
Serve it with one of these:
- Rice. Any kind works or try coconut rice.
- Couscous, quinoa, orzo or potatoes.
- A crisp salad, like this easy romaine salad.
Can I make it ahead?
This rosemary chicken dinner is best served right away. However, if you decide to prepare and cook in advance, then reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Reheat either in a skillet with a splash of water or in the oven for about 10 minutes (in an oven-proof dish).
Useful tips
- Use a thermometer: Chicken thighs are safe at 165°F (74°C), but they turn noticeably more tender around 185°F (85°C).
- Cook time can vary depending on the thickness of chicken thighs. In a single layer, they will take 20 to 30 minutes. For deeper browning, cook a little longer and finish under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes, watching closely.
- This chicken thigh recipe yields plenty of liquid. Enjoy it as is, or thicken it into a sauce. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Pour the slurry into the pan juices, aiming for the open spots between the chicken pieces. Gently stir the liquid in the dish to combine, then return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Avoid adding extra cornstarch, as it can turn the sauce into a paste and leave you with too little sauce to serve.
- Remove the rosemary sprigs before serving or before thickening the sauce.
Chicken thigh recipes to try next
- Grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs: A reader favorite with a quick marinade.
- Mediterranean grilled chicken thighs: A sun-dried tomato and yogurt marinade that works on the grill or in the oven.
- Bacon-wrapped chicken thighs: Chicken thighs baked with pearl barley for a simple one-skillet dinner.
Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs baked in a rich lemon and rosemary sauce.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 springs fresh rosemary
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 28 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs 800 g
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup chicken stock see note 1
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Strip the leaves from one rosemary sprig and finely chop them. Slice ½ lemon into thin rounds and juice the other half.
- Add the boneless chicken thighs to a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish. Season both sides with salt, black pepper and the chopped fresh rosemary.
- Add thinly sliced onion, pressed garlic, olive oil, honey and lemon juice from ½ lemon. Using kitchen tongs, toss everything around until the chicken is evenly coated and the onions are distributed evenly.
- Tuck the lemon slices and the remaining rosemary sprigs under and around the chicken.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until the thighs are tender and the internal temperature reaches 175-185°F (79-85°C).
- Optional: Broil for an additional 2-3 minutes, watching closely, until the tops are browned.
- Serve with a side of your choice (see note 4).
Notes
- You can use either chicken or vegetable stock. Water will also work, but you might need to add more salt to the sauce (Taste the sauce after being cooked, add salt only if needed).
- This recipe yields 4 generous portions. If you serve this lemon chicken with a lot of sides, you can feed up to 6 people.
- The cook time can vary slightly. This depends on the size and type of chicken thighs you use. Small/thin chicken thighs might need only 20 minutes to cook while thicker ones (1-inch/2.5-cm thick) might need 30 minutes. If using bone-in thighs, add extra time and cook at the same temperature range.
- Serving ideas: rice, couscous, potatoes, orzo, light salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 311 kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 10 g (3%), Protein: 40 g (80%), Fat: 12 g (18%), Saturated Fat: 3 g (19%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g, Trans Fat: 0.04 g, Cholesterol: 189 mg (63%), Sodium: 803 mg (35%), Potassium: 594 mg (17%), Fiber: 1 g (4%), Sugar: 6 g (7%), Vitamin A: 84 IU (2%), Vitamin C: 16 mg (19%), Calcium: 35 mg (4%), Iron: 2 mg (11%)
Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and may vary based on ingredient brands, substitutions, and portion sizes.
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and rating below or tag me on Instagram @happyfoodstube.
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