Seasoned with lemon, pepper and garlic, these juicy lemon pepper chicken thighs are easy to make and a delicious easy dinner recipe.
Chicken thighs are a staple in my kitchen and there’s just nothing as delicious as a chicken dinner. It helps that chicken thighs are incredibly versatile and that they are always juicy and delicious. This lemon pepper chicken recipe is fantastic served with mashed potatoes, steamed rice or bread to mop up the sauce. It’s also perfect with a simple salad or greens for a gluten free or low carb meal.
Ingredients
Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken thighs. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. You could use boneless thighs or even chicken breasts but the end result won’t be quite as delicious.
- Black pepper. Freshly ground.
- Lemon. You’ll be using both fresh lemon juice and lemon slices.
- Butter. You can use olive oil too.
- Dried herbs. Any herbs of your choice. Oregano, basil, thyme, sage and rosemary are all delicious with chicken.
- Chicken stock.
How to make lemon pepper chicken
- Chicken thighs: Season chicken thighs generously with salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice. Heat a large skillet or pan over medium high heat then add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Allow to cook for 7-10 minutes until the skin is a deep golden brown and the fat has started rendering out. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 10 minutes on the other side, lowering the temperature if the thighs brown too quickly. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Make a simple pan sauce: Add butter, garlic and herbs to the pan and allow to cook for 30 seconds then add the chicken broth or stock and bring to a boil. Add the chicken thighs and lemon slices back into the pan. Allow to cook for another 10-15 minutes over medium high heat until the chicken thighs are fully cooked. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce and lemon slices.
How long to cook chicken thighs
Depending on their size, chicken thighs take around 30 minutes to cook. Chicken is fully cooked when its internal temperature is 75°C/165°F or when the meat is opaque white throughout and the juices run clear.
What to serve with lemon pepper chicken
- Spicy garlic potato wedges
- Easy steamed vegetables with feta cheese
- Garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes
- Cucumber, tomato and red onion salad
Chicken thigh recipes
- Easy honey garlic chicken thighs
- Grilled peri-peri chicken thighs
- Chicken Piccata Thighs
- Crispy chicken thighs on cheesy broccoli rice
Lemon pepper chicken thighs
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tsp dried herbs (Any dried herb mix will work: Herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning or even just dried oregano)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 lemon sliced
Instructions
- Season the chicken with the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet or pan over medium high heat then add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Allow the chicken to cook for 7-10 minutes until the skin is a deep golden brown and the fat has rendered.
- Carefully flip the chicken thighs over and allow to cook for another 10 minutes on the other side.
- Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add butter, garlic and herbs and allow to cook for 30 seconds before adding the lemon slices and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer then add the chicken thighs back in. Allow to cook for another 10 minutes. You can cover the chicken if you want more sauce or place it in a hot oven to finish cooking.
- Serve the chicken with the pan sauce and lemon slices with sides of your choice.
Straight FIRE. I cooked mine on the grill and not on the stove, but I followed all instructions aside from that and it was STRAIGHT FIRE.
Meal prepped for work this weekend. Can’t wait.
So glad to hear that!
Good taste not as much lemon as I would of thought. Better if you marinate in lemon and pepper overnight. Got really crispy skin but when put back in and put lid on got soggy, will finish in the oven next time. Used herbs of Provence but the sauce tasted like chicken soup. Not sure but will change herbs to prob basil lemon grass and light fresh herbs. I love lemon and the tang so defiantly needs more!!