Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs (Printable)
Juicy lemon-marinated chicken thighs with cracked pepper and crispy skin, ready in under an hour.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
→ Marinade
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - Juice and zest of 2 lemons
04 - 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
05 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped)
08 - 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
→ Garnish
09 - Fresh parsley, chopped
10 - Lemon wedges
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, black pepper, sea salt, minced garlic, thyme, and honey until well combined.
03 - Add the chicken thighs to the marinade and toss thoroughly to coat each piece evenly. Let the chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour for deeper flavor penetration.
04 - Place the chicken thighs skin-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Pour any remaining marinade from the bowl over the chicken pieces.
05 - Roast in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and the internal temperature of the thickest part of each thigh registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
06 - Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat for maximum tenderness.
07 - Transfer the chicken thighs to a serving platter. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and arrange lemon wedges alongside for squeezing over the top. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marinade comes together in about two minutes with pantry staples you probably already have.
- That crispy golden skin paired with the bright punch of lemon is genuinely hard to stop eating.
02 -
- If you crowd the pan the chicken will steam instead of roast, so use two sheets if necessary and give each piece breathing room.
- Marinating for a full hour in the refrigerator transforms the flavor dramatically compared to the quick ten-minute version.
03 -
- Zest the lemons before you juice them because trying to zest a squeezed lemon is a frustrating and unnecessary battle.
- The honey is technically optional but skipping it means sacrificing the best caramelization on the skin, so I never leave it out.