Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
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Olive oil, lemon juice/zest, garlic, Dijon, oregano, thyme. THE BEST marinade ever. Made on the grill or stovetop. SO SO GOOD.
I have never ever been so excited to eat grilled chicken.
Like really, really, really, really excited where it’s all I can think about, day or night.
Where all I want is a plate full of these perfectly juicy, garlicky, lemon chicken thighs with a side of roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli.
Well, who am I kidding? I would prefer this with some crispy french fries sans sweet potato and broccoli but hey, it’s wedding season.
No, but really, these thighs are out of this world. And with a simple marinade, you’ll also be thinking about this constantly.
Plus, with the warmer weather, you can throw these bad boys on the grill with some lemon halves for extra charred lemon juice for serving. It’s so so good.
Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken stock, lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, Dijon, oregano, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and chicken stock mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Heat canola oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat.* Working in batches, add chicken to the grill pan in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
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Easy and full of flavor! I only marinated the chicken for one hour but it was delicious!
This chicken is delicious. Made it more than once and found its most flavorful if you marinate 24 hours.
Hi! Can I use a non seed oil instead of canola for cooking?
Was delicious. I made for dinner tonight
Of course you can. Use whatever you want. Some oils have more flavors than others so be mindful of that.
This was fantastic. I used bone-in chicken thighs instead of boneless and finished them up in a 400 degree oven skin side up for twenty minutes. Used the cast iron pan I browned them in. While they finished cooking I boiled the marinade, adjusted the flavors, and added a bit of corn starch at the end. Delicious!
I like your review to this recipe , I will follow you instructions . Thank you
Best chicken marinade I’ve used! This is so good! I added about 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup for a teeny touch of sweetness, but kept all else the same. New go-to for sure. Thanks for the great recipe.
Absolutely LOVE your recipe. I missed the chicken stock and used 1/2 teaspoon of basil. I marinated overnight the chicken was amazing. . 5 stars from me.
Thank you!!
Can you cook this in a crock pot???
This chicken thigh recipe is amazing! Ticks all the boxes; yummy, healthy, easy , flavorful!
A repeat for me .
Best chicken I have made for a long time and easy to do !
Yum yum
Can I use bone In thighs and cook longer perhaps?
We loved this marinade definitely using it again. My husband especially liked it and he’s normally not a lemon flavored things type of guy! Thanks
Excellent recipe everyone loved it thanks
Love this marinade! I was making about 3 lbs of chicken thighs. I used garlic powder instead of fresh and added a tablespoon of honey to the marinade. While my husband grilled the chicken I made a sauce with sautéed shallots in butter, lemon juice, white wine, salt, pepper, oregano and capers. Thinned with a little chicken broth. I will be using this marinade again and again!
OOOOHHHHH Thank you! I used your recipe and it made the chicken divine!!!
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Can this be done in a smoker
this was amazing marinade and great taste ! thank you 🙂
Marinade is amazing, grilled on gas BBQ 350-375 for 5 minutes a side. Serve with grilled zucchini and fresh gf lemon fettuccine. Perfect meal will use this marinade for my chicken souvlaki next time. I think the Dijon makes all the difference with the thyme.
Can you say yummy! I used clarified butter chicken thighs and added red bell peppers to the pan otherwise followed recipe. Really really good. Quick and easy to boot! Who can ask for more. My brother who is a chef said it’s a great recipe. Served with broccoli and put the lemon-butter sauce from the chicken over the broccoli. OMG good.
So delicious, we loved this marinade. Served with quinoa and grilled veggies for a light and tasty meal. Thank you!
Making this a second time. It’s amazing! I used garlic powder instead of actual garlic and it was still good. Gotta try more of these marinade recipes!