Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken

Published January 23, 2015. Updated August 23, 2024

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Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken is the gourmet, fancy meal your family pictures for Sunday dinner. Roasted chicken thighs are an upgrade to a basic breast, with seasoned and crispy skin you’ll be thinking about for days. Lemon zest and juice, fresh rosemary sprigs, butter, and savory garlic make this lemon rosemary chicken memorable. Pair this with one of your favorite salads or a comforting side dish for an elevated dinner everyone loves.  

Rosemary Chicken Recipe

My favorite type of chicken will probably always be lemon chicken. I love the way the vibrant flavor of lemon juice compliments and enhances chicken, I also love the way fresh herbs and garlic pair with chicken. Throw all of those elements together along with a generous browning in a skillet and nice roasting in the oven and you get this deliciously flavorful and perfectly tender chicken!

Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken | Cooking Classy

Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken

In the past I have never really opted for chicken thighs, most always I cook with chicken breasts. But, recently I was doing some sponsored work that called for using chicken thighs and actually loved them! It’s just been so long since I’ve given them a chance I guess. I just love the way the skin browns to golden crisp deliciousness in the roasting pan, the depth of flavor they had, and of course how tender the chicken was when you choose bone-in cuts. With some fresh lemon and herbs, they create a simple entree with tempting flavors. You can’t beat the crispy outside of the chicken with the tender meat inside. This would also work well with a whole chicken.

This an easy entree that your whole family will agree on and you’ll love how easy they are to prepare!

Chicken Dinner Sides

Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken | Cooking ClassyRoasted Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken | Cooking Classy

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5 from 3 votes

Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken

Bright and deliciously flavorful chicken thighs recipe. Chicken is pan seared to brown then oven baked to cook through.
Servings: 6
Prep5 minutes
Cook30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub both sides of each chicken thigh with cut side of garlic halves, set aside and reserve garlic, then sprinkle each of chicken side with salt and pepper.
  • Heat oil in a 12-inch oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken add cook until bottom is golden brown, draining rendered fat once halfway through cooking, about 8 minutes (I'd recommend using a splatter screen if you have one, oil will splatter quite a bit). Transfer chicken to a plate, drain off majority of oil from pan (leaving just enough to coat pan, about 1 tsp).
  • Thinly slice half of one lemon and place reserved garlic halves in pan and along with lemon slices. Top with chicken, then sprinkle with 1 Tbsp herbs. Bake in preheated oven until center of chicken registers 170 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 18 - 20 minutes.
  • Cut garlic halves into slices and serve with chicken, garnish with additional fresh herbs to taste. Cut remaining lemons into wedges. Serve with lemon wedges for spritzing chicken.
  • Recipe source: adapted from Williams Sonoma
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 346 Calories from Fat 234
% Daily Value*
Fat 26g40%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 139mg46%
Sodium 110mg5%
Potassium 359mg10%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 166IU3%
Vitamin C 22mg27%
Calcium 31mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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32 Comments

  • Jan

    I have made this twice now, and it is so delicious, I can’t say enough good things about it! I made up a little batch of the mixed herbs, so I will have some on hand when I make this dish again! I don’t know how to upload a photo or I would post a picture of my garlic herb lemon chicken!

  • Jan

    This is my family’s new favorite dinner! I didn’t know I could make something that tastes this good! I feel like chef! ❤

  • Diana Perez

    I have made this chicken twice now. The last time that I made it was last night for my seven-year-old grandson. He is a very picky eater; he always has been. However, he could not get enough of your lemon chicken recipe. He had three helpings. I also enjoyed it very much. I grew up in Miami, so lemon chicken is something that I am very familiar with, because of the Spanish culture there. I thought that they made good chicken, and they do, but yours is just as good. The herbs give a lot of flavor to the chicken, and there’s just enough lemon to give that tangy flavor that makes chicken taste so good. I will be making this recipe a lot for both family and friends. Thank you for this recipe!

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      You’re welcome and thank you for your review Diana! So glad your family has enjoyed it!

  • hp bernard

    Directions for browning were confusing. Do you pour off fat when you turn over chicken? Is it 4 minus per side?