Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs

Lemon Garlic Chicken is “5 stars!” “easy and delicious!,” blushing with vibrant citrus, zesty, garlic and aromatic herbs.  The uber juicy, flavorful chicken can be grilled, cooked in a skillet, OR baked with buttery, golden baby potatoes and crisp-tender broccoli for a complete meal-in-one! Top it all of with guilt free Parmesan Yogurt Herb Dip which readers call “a must!”  and “so, so good!”

Watch How to Make Lemon Garlic Chicken

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• Lemon juice:  tenderizes the chicken by breaking down the muscle fibers and adds bright fresh flavor. You’ll need 3 tablespoons lemon juice, which is roughly 1 large lemon.  Make sure to use fresh lemon juice because you also need the lemon zest.  Try microwaving the lemon for 15 seconds and be amazed at how much easier it is to juice!
• Lemon zest: adds concentrated lemon flavor. Make sure not to get the white pith or it will taste bitter.
• Garlic:  three cloves of garlic lend the signature, punchy, garlicky flavor that brings the zing.
• Olive oil: adds flavor and helps insulate the chicken so it doesn’t dry out while cooking.  Use quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. 
• Sugar:  just a pinch helps balance the tangy lemon juice.  You may substitute with honey. 
• Dijon mustard:  adds a layer of tangy sharpness for a more complex flavor profile.  I like coarse ground mustard here, but you may also use smooth.  If you don’t keep Dijon stocked, then just skip it.
• Seasonings: dried oregano, dried basil, onion powder, paprika and ground cumin inject the chicken with a rainbow of flavor. Dried seasonings are more potent than fresh so they work best in quick Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade.
• Salt and pepper:  bring the flavor!  You’ll add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper to the marinade then add additional salt to the potatoes because potatoes love/NEED salt!

• Use a different protein.  Use the Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade on shrimp, fish or pork.  
• Add pesto.  Add ¼ cup pesto to the marinade and omit the basil. 
• Add Parmesan. Add freshly grated Parmesan to the broccoli and potatoes before baking.
• Make it spicy. Add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to really feel the heat.
• Play with the seasoning ratios.  Add additional basil, omit the oregano, etc. to mix up the flavor profile.
• Swap veggies.  Add cherry tomatoes, zucchini, corn, bell peppers, green beans, carrots, asparagus, etc.  Take care to add vegetables to the sheet pan at the correct time so you don’t end up with crisp-tender or mushy veggies. Carrots should be added with the potatoes, bell peppers with the chicken, and asparagus, zucchini and tomatoes should be added the last 10 minutes of baking.  

• Greek yogurt: you can use Greek yogurt or sour cream as the base of the sauce.  Greek yogurt will be tangier and give you more of a Greek vibe. 
• Parmesan:  adds a salty, nuttiness to the sauce and pairs beautifully with the chicken, potatoes and the broccoli!  Use finely freshly grated so it blends right into the sauce.  If you don’t have Parmesan, you may skip it but be prepared to add less lemon juice and addition salt.
• Lemon juice: just a splash adds bright depth to the sauce.
• Parsley:  I like to use parsley in the sauce because it’s not used in the Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade and is neutral enough with clean, slightly peppery, earthy subtilties to not compete with the chicken.  
• Herbs:  in addition to the parsley I recommend chopped chives and minced dill.  I realize these aren’t always pantry friendly, so you can take them or leave them, but they add lots of flavor, especially the dill.
• Seasonings:  salt, pepper and ground cumin round out the flavor profile. Use more or less to taste.  You don’t need a lot of seasonings because the chicken is already so flavorful.

Step 1: Marinate the chicken thighs.  Combine the Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade ingredients in a large sealable bag.  Remove 2 tablespoons to use later on the veggies.  Add the chicken to the bag, seal, and turn to coat.  Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes while you cook the potatoes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Roast the potatoes.  Add the potatoes, 1 tablespoon reserved marinade (not touched by the chicken) and ¼ teaspoon salt to a large, rimmed baking sheet.  Toss the potatoes with the marinade until evenly combined then spread into an even layer.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Step 3:  Add chicken and broccoli.  Add the broccoli to the sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon of the reserved marinade.  Push the broccoli next to the potatoes in a single layer.  Add the chicken in a single layer. 

Step 4:  Bake chicken.  Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 17-22 minutes or until your chicken thighs reach 170 degrees F or chicken cutlets reach 165 degrees F. 

Can I make grilled lemon garlic chicken?

Absolutely!  The Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade is stand-alone fabulous for grilling on an outdoor grill during the summer or an indoor grill pan during the winter.  The cooking time is roughly the same for both 5–7-ounce chicken cutlets and boneless, skinless chicken thighs:

• Heat, clean and grease grill to 400 degrees F.
• Grill chicken over direct heat undisturbed for 4-6 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F for chicken breasts, 170 for thighs).
• Let chicken rest 5 minutes before chopping or slicing.

Can I make Lemon Garlic Chicken in a skillet?

Of course! You can use an indoor grill pan or here’s how to make in a skillet:

• Heat 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Once very hot, add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side.
• Flip the chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 additional minutes (depending on thickness), or until chicken is cooked through.

• Use chicken thighs.  For the juiciest, most flavorful chicken with greater caramelization, use chicken thighs.
• Pound Chicken.  If you use chicken cutlets, take care to pound them to an even thickness using a meat mallet or side of a can so they are more tender and cook more evenly.
• Use a sealable plastic bag.  The marinade is more like a wet rub and not overly wet so it works best in a plastic bag vs a bowl to seal in the juices and flavors all around the chicken.
• Don’t over-marinate the chicken.  This marinade is highly acidic which can break down the chicken fibers and make them mushy if marinated for too long.  Marinate the chicken for 4 hours max.   The thighs really don’t need longer than 20 minutes because they are already tender and won’t become more flavorful even if marinating longer.
• Use the correct pan size.  It is important to use a rimmed jelly roll pan which measures 15 x 21 inches like this one.  The size of the sheet pan matters because we want our ingredients to fit on the pan in a single layer without overlapping.  If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, you can use 2 smaller pans.
• Don’t skip the foil!  Line your sheet pan with foil to make cleanup a breeze.
• Don’t forget the spray.  Even the marinade has olive oil, the veggies aren’t swimming in it, so it’s important that you grease the foil with nonstick cooking spray otherwise your veggies will stick.
• Use uniform potatoes.  Try and select your own potatoes of similar size instead of grabbing a bag which will often have varying sizes.  Quarter all of the potatoes so they are bout 1-inch and only halve potatoes that are super tiny.
• Bring the chicken to room temperature.  If you are making this recipe right away, then the chicken will come to room temperature as it marinates and you bake the potatoes.  If you are making this recipe after the chicken has been marinating in the refrigerator, make sure to let the chicken rest on the counter for 20 minutes before cooking.  Room temperature chicken is juicier (lots of science behind it), cooks more quickly and evenly.
• Meat thermometer: No one likes dry chicken, so be sure to check for doneness with a meat thermometer for the juiciest chicken every time.
• Let the chicken rest.  After the chicken is finished cooking, let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing so it has time to reabsorb the juices that have pushed towards the outside of the chicken. If you cut into the chicken immediately after cooking, valuable, moisture-giving juices will run out.
• Don’t skip the sauce!  The yogurt sauce is a key component in this recipe.  Its creamy consistency marries all of the ingredients together and is a gentle reprieve from the tangy chicken.  If you don’t have all of the herbs for the sauce, just use what you do have.
• Meal prep:  Easily turn these Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs into meal prep by dividing the chicken and veggies into sealable containers so they’re ready for on-the go.  

• Grains:  brown rice, white, rice, quinoa, Greek Lemon Rice or go low carb with cauliflower rice, zoodles or spaghetti squash. Spinach Risotto, Mushroom Risotto or Parmesan Risotto would also be incredible.
• Potatoes: Mashed Potatoes, Hashbrown Casserole, Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Red Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes, or Scalloped Potatoes.
• Vegetables: Honey Roasted Carrots or Glazed Carrots, Roasted Asparagus or Brown Butter Balsamic Asparagus, Roasted Broccoli, or Sauteed Brussels Sprouts.
• Pasta Salads: Creamy Bacon Pea Pasta Salad, BLT Pasta Salad with Lemon Chive Dressing, Greek Pasta Salad, or Italian Pasta Salad.
• Salads:  a big green salad, Apple Salad, Wedge Salad, Fall Salad, Cucumber Tomato Salad, or Corn Salad.
• Fruit Salads: Perfect Fruit Salad,  Winter Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppy Seed Vinaigrette or Creamy Grape Salad. 
• Bread: we love this recipe with Garlic Bread, Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls or Garlic Parmesan Butter Breadsticks.
  

• Sandwiches: slather some pesto on toasted sourdough or toasted bread and top with chicken, tomatoes, avocado, sprouts, etc.
• Panini: spread tzatziki or Greek yogurt mixed with a little mayo on each side of sliced ciabatta bread then layer the bottom slice with mozzarella cheese, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, pickled red onions, feta, bacon, etc. and sliced chicken. Top chicken with bread and grill in a greased grill pan, placing a heavy pan on top of the sandwich. Grill panini for 3 minutes per side or until cheese is melted.
• Pasta: chop up the chicken and add it to Pesto Pasta,  Bacon Pasta, Fettuccini Alfredo, or any of your favorite meatless pastas.  You can also create your own by tossing warmed pasta with olive oil, garlic, herbs and a splash of lemon.
• Tiktok Feta Pasta:  whip of a batch of this sensationally easy, viral pasta by baking a block of feta, tomatoes, pesto and olive oil together to create an irresistible, cheesy, creamy, tangy, tomato sauce then stirring in garlic, basil and cooked pasta.  Now just stir in your chopped Lemon Garlic Chicken and a protein-packed dinner is served! 
• Salad: chop up the chicken and add to a bed of greens along with tomatoes and veggies of choice.  See this Grilled Lemon Basil Chicken Salad with corn, apples, avocado and bacon or this Greek Chicken Salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, thinly sliced red onions, sliced almonds, feta for inspiration.
• Wraps: slather tortillas or flatbread with pesto, top with greens, layer with chicken and veggies of choice.
• Soups:  add this chopped chicken to Lemon Orzo Soup or Chicken Noodle Soup in place of the shredded chicken.  You may need to adjust the seasonings in the original soup recipe because the chicken is so wonderfully flavorful.
• Grain Bowls: layer your favorite rice or grains in a bowl with your favorite veggies and toppings. Choose from a combination of roasted veggies, like roasted broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or butternut squash, raw veggies such as sweet corn, cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced radishes, sprouts, avocados etc. and pickled like pickled jalapenos, red onions, carrots, etc.   Finish it all off with Tomatillo Avocado Ranch or Tzatziki.