Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Garlic
These Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Garlic are juicy and tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Servings: 4
Calories: 471kcal
Ingredients
- 2 large lemons
- 8 medium garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock, either homemade or low-sodium
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the chicken
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for the chicken
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee (a high heat oil such as canola may be substituted)
- 2-3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Slice one lemon into thin slices, discarding the ends, and set aside. Juice the remaining lemon until you have approximately 2 tablespoons of juice. Add the juice to a blender (you could also use a jar with a tight fitting lid).
- Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add to the blender. Lightly smash the remaining 6 cloves and set them aside with the lemon slices. Add the olive oil and chicken stock to the blender, along with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Briefly puree.
- Season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper (this adds a ton of flavor to the skin).
- Place a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium/medium-high heat, and add the clarified butter. You might need slightly more or less butter depending on the diameter of your pan; mine is 12 inches.
- Once the butter is hot and shimmery, add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin-side down, leaving some space so they’re not touching (cook in batches if necessary). Cover with a splatter screen if you have one. Sear the skin for approximately 5-7 minutes without moving it. Turn the heat down or briefly move the pan off the burner if you feel like it may burn, but do not attempt to flip the chicken too soon or the skin will stick to the pan. Once the skin is brown and crispy, use a spatula to flip the chicken and then cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan and set aside, skin-side up (just for a moment). Turn off the heat.
- Turn the blender back on briefly on to re-emulsify and froth up the liquid. Pour some of it into the hot pan and use the spatula to scrape up any brown, caramelized bits, incorporating them into the liquid. The pan will still be hot and sizzling, so be careful.
- Add the chicken back to the pan, skin-side up. Pour the sauce into the pan from the side, taking care to avoid pouring it over the chicken (keep that skin crispy!). Fill in any gaps with the reserved garlic and lemon slices.
- Place the pan in the oven, uncovered, and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F, approximately 10-15 minutes.
- Before serving, drizzle chicken with some of the pan sauce and top with chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
A Dutch oven would also work for this recipe. The goal is to use a piece of equipment that’s NOT nonstick, a good conductor of heat, and that offers enough surface space for the chicken thighs.
Check out my post for additional tips on how to get the perfect sear on chicken thighs.
Nutrition
Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 302mg | Sodium: 387mg | Potassium: 654mg | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2.3mg