Lemon Chicken with Thyme
Chicken is one of the most affordable meats today, and there are literally millions of recipes for its preparation. However, I continue to experiment and seek out new flavors. You’ll definitely enjoy this recipe—it's for incredibly tender, juicy meat with a hint of lemon and thyme, making it an ideal addition to the main dish for dinner that everyone will appreciate!
Cook Time
1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
- Salted butter (melted) 120 g
- Fresh thyme leaves 5-7 stalks
- Сloves garlic (minced) 3-4 pcs
- Lemon (zest) 1 pcs
- Fresh-squeezed lemon juice 75 ml
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- Chicken thighs 6-8 pcs
- Olive oil 2 tbsp
- Fresh lemon 1-2 pcs, to serve
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, thyme, minced garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice - mix well
- Place the chicken in another dish and pour three-fourths of the mixture over the top, reserving the remaining mixture. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C)
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chicken and discard used marinade. Cook for 5 minutes per side
- Place the fried chicken in a baking dish and pour the remaining marinade over it. You can also add lemon slices on top, then bake everything for 25 minutes
- Transfer the cooked meat to a dish, let it cool for 5 minutes, and serve with your favorite side dish, salad, or simply baked lemons
Notes
If you prefer a beautiful crust, cook chicken thighs with the skin on (I cooked without it).
If you prefer leaner meat, cook chicken breast (though thighs are considered fattier and, accordingly, juicier).
Both garlic and thyme can be replaced with dried versions, but fresh ingredients have richer flavors.
It’s most convenient to fry the chicken in a cast-iron pan and then bake everything in the oven in the same pan. However, if you don’t have one, you can fry the meat in a regular pan and then transfer it to a baking tray.
This meat will taste great for more than a day if reheated before serving (though, let’s be honest—there probably won’t be any leftovers after the first cooking).
