Lemon Chicken
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Nina
Hi Elise I was going to make this dish tonight, but I don’t have any thyme or rosemary. What other herbs do you think would go good with the lemon?
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Elise Bauer
How about oregano? Lemon and oregano are a classic Greek pairing.
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Gretchen Webster
Hi Elise, I’d like to make this for company tomorrow evening. Do you think I could add baby carrots and mushrooms in the bottom of the roasting pan? Would the mushrooms make it too watery? Thanks!
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Elise Bauer
Hi Gretchen, I do think the mushrooms would make it watery. Also I’m not sure about the flavor combination of mushrooms with lemon chicken. I would recommend root vegetables instead, like carrots, parsnips, celery root, and or onions.
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Gretchen Webster
I went with the carrots on a bed of angel hair pasta decorated with fresh lemon slices. The company loved it! Many thanks!
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Angie
Looks delicious! Can you marinate it overnight?
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Elise Bauer
Hi Angie, I have marinated the chicken overnight without an issue, though for some people the result might be too lemony. Also the acid in the lemon juice can start to break down the chicken, so you don’t want to keep the chicken in the lemon juice too long. That said, I’ve done it overnight and it was fine.
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Emily
This has become one of our all time favorite recipes, whether as a comfort food family meal or to serve to company. Tastes yummy at any time of year. My husband and I both cook and usually one of us becomes the primary cook for a given recipe, but we both cook this one.
xxxxxyyyyy
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Allegra
This recipe is foolproof and delicious. I’ve made it many times and even when I skip marinating it or omit a spice, it turns out well. Great in oven or on grill.
xxxxxyyyyy
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Bryan Peters
Sounds simple & delicious!! However, I don’t particularly care for thyme… Any substitute suggestions? Or would you recommend simply omitting it? Thanks!
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Elise Bauer
Hi Bryan, try oregano! Lemon and oregano go well together.
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Linda
I have made this for over 30 years and am so happy you posted the recipe. I never took time to write it down but it is exactly how I make it.
I was searching for something new to do with chicken thighs and when I saw this I decided there isn’t a better recipe so sticking with it -
Emily
We made this for the first time when having a friend over for dinner at the holidays. It’s now Jan 18 and we have made it twice more since then. In other words, this has become an instant classic, if not an obsession, in our household. Thank you for this great recipe!
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Jackie
Elise, this is exactly why you are my go-to girl! I needed something relatively fast and simple for Sunday dinner and remembered seeing this. It was delightful! Just lemony enough. And the fresh rosemary and thyme are so perfect with it. I served it with yellow rice and a mix of yellow squash, zucchini, caramelized onions and garlic. Oh my! This was an easy answer to my arroz con pollo craving!
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Cassandra
Hi! Super excited to have this tonight! Just a question-have you ever tried grilling this on the Bbq instead?
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Elise Bauer
Hi Cassandra, great question! I have not grilled chicken prepped this way yet, but I do have a great Greek lemon chicken skewers recipe for the grill: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/greek_lemon_chicken_skewers_with_tzatziki_sauce/
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Maneesha
I’ve made this many times & it’s one of my favorite baked chicken recipes. If I remember correctly your original version of this recipe had you put bits of solid butter on the skin to let it melt in as it bakes. Why did you modify it to brush on melted butter? I’m curious to know what difference it makes.
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Elise Bauer
Hi Maneesha, I checked back through earlier versions and we’ve always used melted butter. It’s just easier to spread evenly over the chicken that way.
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sree
This is a fabulous baked lemon chicken recipe! My variation: Rather than zesting my ripe Meyer lemon, I chopped it finely for the marinade after juicing it, and it added some amazing extra aroma and flavor to the final chicken dish! Left overs were also SUPER fragrant and tasty! Thanks Elise!
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Erica
I know that this recipe is not meant to be used for boneless chicken breasts, but has anyone tried this and if so would appreciate any feedback. My husband and kids are very picky and don’t like chicken parts/skin…. ;) thanks!!
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Sandra
Hi, I used chicken breasts but next time I would not cook it so long as it was a bit dry. I also added olive oil to the marinade as there was no skin on the chicken and thought it need some oil. Was good but a bit dry. Oh well you live and learn, next time I shall adjust the time.
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Cecilia
It looks so delicous! I was actually gonna try this out in the weekend, but I don’t have any lemon. Do you think I can use lime instead? Or should I just skip it? I do not fancy driving into the store again just for a couple of lemons.. Thanks for the recipe! :)
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Elise Bauer
Hi Cecilia, limes are more acidic than lemons, so I wouldn’t use quite as much or marinate quite as long. I don’t know how rosemary will go with the lime, you might want to use cilantro stems instead.
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Corina
I love lemon chicken thighs too! The meat is just so tender and suits the lemon perfectly.
Delightful recipe, especially when you consider how simple and easy it is. I fixed eight thighs, which I trimmed pretty closely. I had little marinade left for basting, but I poured off 1 3/4 cups of drippings when I was done. Fortunately, in my fear of preparing top little pasta, I prepared way too much, so the the drippings had a place to go.
xxxxxyyyyy
Very flavorful! We just loved it! I made it for weeknight dinner and thought it was delicious enough for company. Used the entire recipe of marinade for 4 bone in chicken thighs and had plenty of marinade in reserve that I added to the pan juices half way through the cooking time, which we used on our plain rice. Another winner Elise – thank you!
xxxxxyyyyy
Nice, but nothing special. Not enough marinade to “reserve” and use for basting. Not enough pan juices to serve separately – just dribble it over as you serve it. Kosher salt is a waste of cupboard space – just use sea salt for everything.
Husband and I loved it! Thank you!
xxxxxyyyyy
Hey Elise, Im thinking about making this dish tonight, however I’ve got the whole chicken leg and not just the thigh, should I adjust the cook time?
Hi, Chloe! Emma here, managing editor. You shouldn’t need to adjust the cooking time too much, if at all. Start checking at 35 minutes, and continue cooking until the juices run clear and the chicken registers at least 165F in the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer. Enjoy!
wonderful thank you