Baked Lemon Chicken Thighs, roasted until crispy and infused with glorious lemon flavor. Oven baked, this is an incredibly easy and over the top delicious weeknight meal.
When this Donna Hay Baked Lemon Chicken Thighs recipe caught my eye I felt like I had landed on a gold mine. This recipe is so easy and so delicious, that its become a regular on our weeknight meal rotation. t’s really quite incredible.
Does it get any easier than this? Chicken thighs are placed on three slices of lemon and baked until crispy.
The lemon flavor that infuses into this chicken is astounding and actually a little unbelievable. Somewhat like magic. And served with a green bean side dish or some roasted potatoes and you’ve got yourself a beautiful meal.
Baked Lemon Chicken Thighs are one of our favorite recipes. Why? Its just so darn easy and so darn delicious.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 8 Small Chicken Thighs. I like to purchase high quality small production chicken thighs. They will cost a little more than the large chicken thighs that come from the large factory chicken farms. For so many humane reasons, and for better flavor and texture, this is simply a better choice.
- 2 large lemons: Sliced.
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil: Adding a drizzle of oil will simply help the meal stay moist and cook to a crispier state. Vegetable oil or canola oil will also work well here.
First of all, chicken breasts are much larger than chicken thighs. You’d have to increase the amount of lemons for those breasts to rest on. And the cooking time would need to increase dramatically. The fat content of a chicken breast is much lower, meaning that the amount of fat that drizzles down on the lemon slices during the cooking time, is significantly lower. And that’s where the flavor comes from. The sizzling juices from the chicken thighs ignite and infuse the lemon flavor into the meat. I’d stick with chicken thighs for best results.
Using bone in, skin on thighs are the best option for baked lemon chicken thighs. The skin produces fat which keeps the chicken thighs from drying out. The fat also drips onto the lemon slices which in turn allows the lemon to infuse it’s flavor into the meat. Save those boneless skinless thighs for brothy recipes like this Chickpea Soup Recipe or Grilled Chicken Thigh Tacos.
Pro Tip: For best results, pat those chicken thighs dry before oven roasting. Removing as much excess moisture as you can will keep the skin from becoming soggy. The less steam involved in the cooking process, the crispier the chicken thigh.
Easy Sides To Serve Baked Lemon Chicken Thighs
Since this recipe is such an easy weeknight dinner option, keep the sides simple. You’ve got a 30 minute bake time window to prepare your side dish or dishes.
- I’d highly recommend this recipe for Microwave Cauliflower.
- Or plan ahead and use your crock pot for these Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Baked Potatoes.
- And if you’re looking for a clever side dish salad, take a look at this Citrus Salad, which takes advantage of Winter fruit.
Storage
- Store any left overs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat leftovers in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or in an air-fryer for a few minutes. Avoid reheating in the microwave, that crispy skin will become a little soggy.
Baked Lemon Chicken Thighs Recipe
I hope you give this super easy chicken thighs recipe a try. This recipe couldn’t be easier to prepare. There’s no frying, no browning, no marinating. Simply and straight forward, it’s a weeknight miracle meal.
More Lemon Chicken Recipes
If you love the lemon chicken combination take a look at these recipes.
- Lemon Chicken with Mushrooms
- Ginger Lemon Chicken Soup
- Chicken Dinner with Lemon Cream Sauce
- Braised Chicken with Lemon Potatoes and Olives
And if you’re looking for even more chicken recipes, don’t miss my Chicken Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes including the most popular on my site for Chicken Mushroom Spinach Skillet.
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If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.
Baked Lemon Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- 2 lemons washed and thin sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Wash and thin slice the lemons.
- On a sheet pan, place lemons, three at a time, overlapping each other.
- Place a single chicken thigh on each of group of lemon slices
- Salt and pepper chicken thighs and drizzle each chicken thigh/lemon slice pile generously with olive oil. Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until juices run clear and skin is crispy.
Notes
- For best results, pat those chicken thighs dry before oven roasting. Removing as much excess moisture as you can will keep the skin from becoming soggy. The less steam involved in the cooking process, the crispier the chicken thigh. A paper towel works well here.
- Line the sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Using kitchen shears, trim any excess skin/fat from the chicken thighs. You’re baking these thighs at a high temperature and trimming will temper any flare ups in the oven.
Nutrition
Baked Lemon Chicken Thighs …It’s What’s for Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
These crispy oven roasted lemon chicken thighs were SO easy and delicious. I’m all in for fast, easy meals and this fit the bill. Thanks, Lea Ann!
Thanks so much for your note Emily and so glad you liked this recipe. It’s a regular in our meal rotation. So easy and full of flavor.
Make it a delicious day! Lea Ann
I made this last night with Redbird chicken thighs. They were delicious, and the recipe is so simple. But I might leave off the EVOO next time, because we like crispier skin. It’s going into my regular rotation!
great idea to use a pizza stone and thanks for another simple weeknight meal idea!!
You’re welcome Vianney
I will try this on a pizza stone on the grill, I love the idea!
I think it would work great on the pizza stone. Fabulous idea. My oven was taking a beating from the grease.
Gotta love lemon in all it’s applications! Looks like a great, no-fuss meal!
It was a bit of a fuss, when the grease started splattering all over my oven… that’s when the foil came out to tent.
What a lovely dish. I’m really fond of recipes that are next to no work to make. This sounds wonderful.Have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Thank you Mary. As always, so glad to have you stop by and taking the time to comment.
I just love no recipe recipes! Simple is best in my book.
As for the iPad… I really want one and honestly, really only for using it in the kitchen!!!
I use it for recipes, for photographing pieces of paper and keeping them on file on the Ipad, (I’m trying to go paperless) email …. it’s just the best.
Sounds delicious! I just got an iPhone last year and iPad is on my Very Much Want list.
You’re going to love it Susan. I got mine for my birthday.
It just recently occurred to me that I could get Donna Hay magazine on y ipad and not have to wait months for them to appear on newsstands here. Love it. And, I love the simplicity of this chicken dish!
So many of her recipes are so simple. This is my first exposure to Donna Hay. Love her magazine
I adore, love, admire, envy, drool over Donna Hay! I got her first mag on my iPad but it’s 1st gen so I can’t get it anymore ;( I bought her Season’s cookbook…haven’t made a single recipe from it yet but I love to look at the photos…!
I really had no idea what to expect, and I’m loving her easy recipes. And the format is outstanding on my new Ipad.
I have always wanted Donna hay Mag but it’s so crazy expensive by delivery so getting it on a tablet is awesome. And what an easy way to make lemon chicken…my kids love lemon chicken so I will try it!!
I think I paid $4.00 for it? Can’t remember for sure.
Love lemon with chicken. This is a “must try.” We have an Ipad and subscribe to several magazines, but haven’t had the nerve to take it into the kitchen with me yet.
I would love to know how to bookmark recipes on the Ipad and to make notes. Looks like I have a lot to learn…
Sam
It’s easy Sam. When you’re on the recipe, just tap the top edge of the screen. Some icons will come up and there’s a little bookmark thingie. Voila
Sounds delicious Lea Ann, and I love using pasta as the side.
I have a new love for Angel Hair Pasta. 🙂
I’ve seen that app, Lea Ann, and will definitely look into it, but at the moment I still have a subscription to the mag. Will wait until that’s up and then download the app. So much simpler….and hopefully, cheaper.
What a great way to make chicken! You know me and lemon. 🙂 I love iPad magazines, too. I have the original iPad- so no retina display – still, magazines just pop. No more turning to the back to read the recipe or find the instructions. It’s perfect for travel, especially on airplanes.
We couldn’t believe the wonderful lemony flavor that came through, and just from the chicken sitting on the lemon slices??? The original recipe didn’t call for tenting with foil, but about 10 minutes in, I could tell my oven was becoming a mess with grease splatters. I reached in and loose tented the baking sheet. You may have to leave it uncovered for a bit to insure browning.
These thighs look amazingly simple and delicious. I don’t have an ipad or a subscription to F & W. I think I need to get with it and get both. Maybe Santa will pull through for me.
Karen, I’m sure Santa will pull through for you. 🙂 I like F&W recipes .. a lot. But I like Donna Hay recipes even better.
That chicken does sound super good and easy. I love lemon flavor, especially on chicken! I wish I had an ipad! That sounds like a great idea. I do know my life has never been the same since I got my iphone!
If you love your Iphone, you’re going to love an Ipad. You’ve got to try the chicken, it’s amazing and easy.
This looks so good. I just love lemon with chicken.