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Four lemon garlic chicken thighs with parsley and lemon wedges
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Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs Recipe

Bone-in chicken thighs roast with whole garlic, then finish with fresh lemon juice and parsley for a bright, savory pan sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 415.6
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 2 pounds total
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 3 grams
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled, about 18 grams
  • 2 lemons use 3 tablespoons juice; cut remaining lemon into wedges
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley about 8 grams
  • 2 tablespoons water for the pan sauce

Equipment

  • 1 12-inch ovenproof skillet or a shallow metal roasting pan
  • 1 Instant-read thermometer

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels without rinsing it. Wash hands and sanitize surfaces that touched the raw chicken.
  2. Rub the thighs with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange skin-side up in an ovenproof skillet, leaving a little space between pieces. Tuck the peeled garlic cloves between them, touching the bottom of the pan.
  3. Roast for 35–45 minutes, checking from 30 minutes. Turn any rapidly browning garlic into the pan juices. Check each thigh in its thickest part without touching bone; it must reach at least 165°F. If needed, continue roasting and check again.
  4. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate and rest for 5 minutes. Keep an oven mitt on the hot skillet handle. Carefully stir 2 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons lemon juice into the hot pan juices, scraping up the browned bits. Mash one softened garlic clove into the sauce if desired.
  5. Return the chicken to the skillet or place on a serving platter. Scatter with parsley and serve with the remaining garlic, lemon wedges, and juices spooned around, not over, the crisp skin.

Video

Notes

Use thighs of similar size. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below for 3–4 days; reheat to 165°F. Nutrition is estimated for one thigh and one-quarter of the sauce, including skin and all oil, but excluding sides and optional lemon wedges. Bone size and rendered fat change the actual amount eaten.
Video credit: Smokin’ & Grillin with AB. Aaron Brown’s related oven-baked version uses a lemon-zest, minced-garlic, and oregano coating. This recipe instead roasts whole garlic cloves and adds fresh lemon juice afterward; follow the written card for its quantities and timing.