Bright & savory Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs made with simple ingredients! Coat thighs in a peppery + zesty spice blend, bake until nearly done then brush with a quick lemon sauce and bake until sticky and golden. Check the recipe notes for tips one making it dairy free & Low FODMAP friendly!
Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs at A Glance
- Make sure to get under the skin too!
- Use your hands to rub the marinade into the thighs. Gently lift the skin up so you can get as much flavor as close to the meat as possible.
- Bake the chicken on a wire rack.
- This allows airflow all around the chicken as it bakes. Since the finished chicken is coated in a sauce that’s more sticky then crispy, this also means you don’t need to worry about flipping the chicken over halfway through baking.
- The flavor comes in two waves: the spice paste & lemon sauce.
- Coat the chicken in a basic spice paste made from ground spices, fresh lemon zest and a touch of oil. Bake until nearly done, then brush with a lightly-sweetened lemon sauce and finish baking until the chicken is golden and glazed.
Recipe Steps
Mix seasoning: Whisk the spices together in a small bowl then add a little bit of oil to make a paste.
Coat chicken & bake: Rub the spice blend all over and under the skin and bake the chicken in a preheated oven on a wire rack.
Lemon sauce: Mix & melt butter, oil, lemon juice, honey (or maple) and herbs in a small pan.
Add sauce: Brush over the chicken (all sides) and bake another 10-15 minutes until golden and sticky.
Adaptions & Other Flavor Ideas
- Make it low FODMAP: Omit the garlic powder and use maple syrup as your sweetener.
- Make it dairy free: Swap the butter with more olive oil or use a dairy-free butter instead.
- Try Different Herbs: You can easily swap out the parsley for other fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, oregano, thyme and rosemary. Add other complimentary dried herbs like Italian seasoning, oregano, etc.
- Marinate Longer: Coat your chicken thighs in the spice paste then cover and marinate 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. When I remember to marinate my chicken, 4-6 hours is generally a good range of time.
- If marinating chicken longer than 30 minutes, leave it in the fridge. Marinating 30 minutes or less, leave it out at room temperature.
- Boneless Chicken Thighs: Reduce the total bake time to about 25-30 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, then add the lemon sauce, then bake another 5-10 minutes until fully cooked.
- Chicken Breast: Reduce the total bake time to about 20-25 minutes. Actual cooking time will depend on how large your pieces are. Bake for 15 minutes, then add the lemon sauce, then bake another 5-10 minutes until fully cooked.
Serving Suggestions to go with this Baked Lemon Chicken
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Recipe
Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs Recipe
Yield:
4-5 servings
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour 5 minutes
Bright & savory Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs coated in a simple, peppery + zesty spice blend, baked until nearly done then brushed with a quick lemon sauce and baked until sticky and golden.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp black pepper, divided
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ¾ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 6-8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs | 680g)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp honey, maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking dish with foil or baking paper then place an oven safe wire rack inside the pan. Spray with a bit of oil and set aside.
- Mix Marinade: Add lemon zest, salt, 1 tsp pepper, basil, paprika and coriander to a small bowl and whisk together until combined. Stir in 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Marinate Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture then place on the wire rack. Dollop a little bit of the spice mix over each chicken thigh, then use your hands to rub the marinade all over each thigh. Try to get some of the marinade under the skin too, if possible.
- Bake: Rearrange the thighs so they are positioned skin-side up. Leave a couple inches in between each thigh so ensure airflow around all sides. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes.
- Sauce: In a small sauce pan combine the remaining 2 tbsp oil and 1 tsp black pepper with butter, honey (or maple), lemon juice, garlic powder and about half the chopped parsley. Warm over a medium heat until the butter melts. You can also mix this in a microwave - use a heat safe bowl and cook 30-60 seconds until the butter melts.
- Add Sauce: After the chicken has baked 20 minutes, remove from the oven. Brush the lemon sauce over both sides of chicken thighs then return to the oven. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until cooked through.
- Optional: Turn the oven heat up all the way to broil a final 2-3 minutes to caramelise/thicken the sugar in the sauce to make it more glaze-like.
- Finish: Remove the chicken from the oven and brush with the remaining sauce if you like. Sprinkle remaining parsley over top and serve with extra lemon slices.
- Leftovers: Cool cooked chicken to room temperature then store in an airtight container and refrigerate 3-4 days.
Notes
- Internal Temperature: 165°F/74°C is the minimum temperature required for food safety. However, dark meat like thighs and legs are best around 195°F/90°C for a better texture and richer flavor. Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer if needed.
- Make it low FODMAP: Omit the garlic powder and use maple syrup as your sweetener.
- Make it dairy free: Swap the butter with more olive oil or use a dairy-free butter instead.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: Reduce the total bake time to about 25-30 minutes. Bake 20 minutes, then add the lemon sauce, then bake another 5-10 minutes until fully cooked.
- Chicken Breast: Reduce the total bake time to 20-25 minutes (time depends on how large your pieces are). Bake 15 minutes, then add the lemon sauce, then bake another 5-10 minutes until fully cooked.
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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