Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs (Printable)
Juicy lemon-and-pepper chicken thighs roasted until golden, finished with parsley and lemon wedges.
# What You'll 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 for serving
# Steps:
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, cracked black pepper, sea salt, minced garlic, thyme, and honey until well combined.
03 - Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss thoroughly to coat evenly in the marinade. Allow to rest 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.
05 - Roast in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the skin is deeply golden and crispy and the internal temperature registers 165°F at the thickest part of the thigh.
06 - Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve alongside lemon wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The pepper crust on these thighs creates a savory crunch that will ruin you for plain roast chicken forever.
- Everything marinates in one bowl and cooks on one sheet pan, which means cleanup takes about three minutes.
02 -
- If you crowd the pan the chicken will steam instead of roast, so give each thigh room to breathe and crisp properly.
- Marinating longer than an hour in straight lemon juice can start to break down the meat texture and make it mushy.
03 -
- A quick blast under the broiler for 90 seconds at the end turns already good skin into something shatteringly crisp.
- Drumsticks work perfectly with this same marinade, just reduce the cooking time by about eight minutes.