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Zesty, herby, and totally irresistible! These lemon rosemary chicken thighs are a simple, flavorful dinner option that’s perfect for any night of the week. Juicy, golden-brown chicken is infused with fresh rosemary, zesty lemon, and a hint of garlic for a meal that’s both elegant and easy to prepare. Pair it with your favorite sides, from roasted potatoes to a crisp salad, for a dish the whole family will love. Ready in just under an hour, this recipe brings bold, comforting flavors to your table with minimal effort.
Quick and easy, as well as totally delicious, these lemon rosemary chicken thighs are perfect for a midweek meal. They’re succulent and very tasty.
You might also like creamy lemon chicken thighs, slow cooker chicken gyros with homemade tzatziki, or perhaps Greek lemon chicken with potatoes.
Why You’ll Love It
Bright, bold flavors: The fresh lemon and fresh rosemary make this easy chicken thighs recipe so mouthwatering.
Simple to prepare: You just have to sear the chicken, make the sauce, combine the two and roast it in the oven until done to perfection. Whip up a couple of side dishes and you’re all set for dinner.
A crowd-pleaser: Expecting guests over for dinner? Make this delicious chicken in lemon rosemary sauce and you can be sure everyone will enjoy it.
Gluten-free: There’s no gluten in here!
Lemon Rosemary Chicken Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Chicken thighs: I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the tastiest results. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
Olive oil: To sear the chicken.
Lemon: Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest are used to flavor the chicken, while lemon slices make an appealing decoration.
Rosemary: Fresh rosemary pairs beautifully with the bright lemon flavor in this dish.
Garlic: The recipe uses both garlic powder and garlic cloves for a tasty result.
How to Make Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Sear the chicken: Heat the oil in a skillet until hot and then add the chicken thighs. Sear until golden brown all over but not cooked through. Transfer into a baking dish greased with cooking spray.
Add the sauce: Whisk the sauce ingredients together and pour the sauce over the chicken. Add lemon slices and fresh rosemary sprigs around the chicken too if you like.
Bake and serve: Bake the chicken thighs until cooked through, then spoon some of the sauce over and serve hot.
Substitutions and Variations
Chicken thighs: You can use chicken breasts instead if you want but keep in mind they can dry out if overcooked even a little. If you prefer chicken breast, I recommend bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts which have a similar cooking time. If you’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, the cooking time will be 5 to 10 minutes less.
Fresh rosemary: Sub 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary as dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor than fresh ones.
Lemon slices and rosemary sprigs: These are to infuse the pan sauce and also for presentation but you can omit these if you wish.
Garlic: You can use minced garlic cloves only, garlic powder only or even omit the garlic if you aren’t a fan.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Begin your meal with dirty martini shrimp.
Side dishes: Pair your lemon rosemary chicken with baby potatoes or crispy smashed potato salad and roasted rainbow carrots or any other roasted veggies or steamed veggies, or with homemade mac and cheese and perhaps some onion rings.
Desserts: Finish with pineapple upside down cupcakes.
How to Store Lemon Chicken Thighs
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 or 4 days. Keep the pan sauce (all the cooking liquid from the baking dish) in with the chicken to keep it moist.
Freeze: You can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: You can warm it back up in a pot on the stove or in the oven, adding a splash of chicken stock or chicken broth if needed.
Top Tips
Searing the chicken: This is just to brown the chicken on the outside. Don’t cook it all the way through.
Use a large skillet: If your skillet is large enough to hold all the chicken thighs at once, you can use it in the oven. If not, you’ll need to transfer the chicken into a baking dish.
Check for doneness: The exact cooking time depends on the thickness and size of your chicken thighs and your oven. Use a meat thermometer to check (I love this one!) Insert it into the thickest part of the chicken but don’t let it touch the bone. Once the chicken reaches 165°F it’s ready to serve.
Cool before storing: If you don’t let the chicken cool completely before storing leftovers, the condensation in the container will make it watery.
Lemon and Rosemary Chicken FAQs
Yes, you can. Sear the chicken thighs until browned and crisp over a medium high heat and then turn the heat down a bit, add the lemon rosemary sauce and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is 165°F in the thickest part.
You’ll need about 3 pounds of chicken thighs to serve 6 people. This works out about 6 larger ones or 8 smaller ones.
Baked Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs Recipe
Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- Baking Dish 9 x 13-Inch
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds chicken thighs, bone-in skin-on, about 6 to 8 thighs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- nonstick cooking spray, as needed
- lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
- fresh rosemary, for garnish (optional)
For the Lemon Rosemary Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 Cloves garlic, minced
- ½ Teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 ½ Teaspoons salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Teaspoons lemon zest
- juice of 2 lemons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Heat a skillet over a moderately high heat and add the oil.
- Sear the chicken until golden brown all over, 3 or 4 minutes per side, working in batches if needed and adding more oil if needed.
- Transfer the chicken into the prepared baking dish skin side up.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together and pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Add extra rosemary sprigs and lemon slices around the chicken if you like.
- Bake uncovered for about 25 or 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part and the juices run clear.
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve hot, with your preferred side dishes.
Notes
Use a large skillet: If your skillet is large enough to hold all the chicken thighs at once, you can use it in the oven. If not, you’ll need to transfer the chicken into a baking dish.
Check for doneness: The exact cooking time depends on the thickness and size of your chicken thighs and your oven. Use a meat thermometer to check. Insert it into the thickest part of the chicken but don’t let it touch the bone. Once the chicken reaches 165°F it’s ready to serve.
Cool before storing: If you don’t let the chicken cool completely before storing leftovers, the condensation in the container will make it watery.
Nutrition
Prepare the most delicious lemon rosemary chicken thighs recipe and you’ll fall in love with the fresh and bright flavors. Whether you enjoy this with mashed potatoes, rice or even pasta, it’s going to be a highly flavorful meal you’d want to make again and again. Chicken thighs are a budget option but you can make a dinner party worthy meal with them if you follow this straightforward recipe.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This chicken was so juicy and flavorful! Can’t wait to make it again