Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs
on Jan 30, 2022, Updated Sep 09, 2024
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These Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs are what home cooking looks like for me: satisfying, comforting, and healthy with big flavors, minimal prep, and just a few ingredients. A dish like this takes one hour max and can be totally marinated the night before. Pair it with a 🥗 salad, cauliflower mash, mashed potatoes, or rice on the side, or turn it into a one-pot meal and throw in potatoes to bake with the 🍗 chicken.
Why You’ll Love Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs
This Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight meal idea but feels a little more special than a regular old baked chicken dish. The combination of juicy, tender chicken with a delicious wine and 🍋 lemon-honey Dijon mustard sauce is perfection. The slow-roasted 🧄 garlic on the side brings it to a whole other level. This recipe is easy to prepare, requiring minimal prep time and just one baking dish, making cleanup a breeze. Plus, the option to add vegetables transforms it into a complete, satisfying meal. This recipe is the perfect blend of simplicity, flavor, and versatility.
How to Prepare
🍗 Add the chicken to any baking dish and then add the olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, 7 cloves of unpeeled garlic, honey dijon mustard, and the juice of a lemon.
👐 Give it a nice massage with clean hands and then either bake it right away or marinate overnight.
🥔 Feel free to add some potatoes to the baking dish as well.
💧 When you are ready to bake, add the wine and water and then cover the dish with a lid or foil.
🔥 Bake at 400°F (200C) for 45 minutes, then uncover it and put the oven to broil for a couple of minutes to get the skin nice and crispy.
🌡️ Use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
🧄 Remove the garlic cloves and then use it as a spread on bread. Enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip 🥕
This recipe can turn into a one-pot meal if you throw in some potatoes, carrots, or green beans into the baking dish as well!
Variations and Substitutions for Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs
- You are more than welcome to use any cut of 🍗 chicken of choice but if you use chicken breast you will have to reduce the cooking time because it cooks faster so keep an eye on it.
- You can certainly use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as well in this recipe but the cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness.
- Honey dijon mustard is totally optional in this recipe.
- You can use unsalted chicken broth, vegetable broth, or even water instead of white wine if you prefer.
- You can also add vegetables like potatoes, 🥕 carrots, or green beans to the baking dish. Just make sure to cut them into even sizes so cook through properly.
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Best Served With
- Serve these Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs with a side of 🥔 Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Crispy Parmesan Potatoes.
- Serve with a side 🥗 salad, like my Simple Green Salad, Caesar Salad, or Lemon Parmesan Salad.
Common Questions
Yes, you can certainly use chicken breasts instead, but they may cook faster, so start checking for doneness around 30-35 minutes to avoid overcooking. Breasts can be less juicy, so consider basting with the pan juices halfway through cooking.
Absolutely! Adding vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or green beans can make this Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs recipe a one-pan meal. Just ensure they’re cut into even sizes to cook through properly.
Yes, you can marinate the chicken up to a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, add the wine and water and proceed with baking.
The best way to tell if your chicken is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C). Also, the juices should run clear when the meat is pierced near the bone.
After baking, the garlic cloves will be soft and sweet. Spread them on crusty bread for a delicious accompaniment, or mix them into the sauce for extra flavor.
Garlic Lemon Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thigh , skin on, bone in
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, to taste
- 7 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1.5 tablespoons honey dijon mustard, or regular mustard
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ cup white wine, or unsalted veggie or chicken broth
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Add the chicken to any baking dish and add all of the ingredients minus the water and wine.
- Give it a nice massage with clean hands and you can bake it right away or you can even let it marinate overnight.
- Feel free to add some potatoes to the baking dish.
- When you are ready to bake, add the wine and water and cover the dish with a lid or foil.
- Bake at 400°F (200C) for 45 minutes, then uncover it and put the oven to broil for a couple of minutes so that you can get the skin nice and crispy. Keep a very close eye on it as it can easily burn.
- Remove the garlic cloves and spread on bread and then pour the sauce on top. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely delicious recipe! I used tarragon instead of Italian seasoning & didn’t use wine. This will definitely be getting added to my repertoire for an easy week night meal. Will try this with adding potatoes to the dish to make an easier one-pot dinner
Yum, love tarragon too and potatoes sound like the perfect addition!
One of my absolute favourite recipes on your page. The sauce…I mean, good enough to chug 😉 I made it with mashed potatoes and poured the sauce over the potatoes. SO GOOD!
aw Mel! love the chuggable sauce reference. So happy you love this recipe.