The combination of fresh lemon juice, chicken thighs, a generous amount of olive oil, a hit of garlic, and fresh parsley makes a delicious, immune-boosting dish for cooler weather. But you can enjoy it just as much at any time of year.

I love fresh organic lemons. In fact, I begin each day with tea made from a lemon wedge and slices of ginger, and I add a lemon wedge to my water glass, which I sip throughout the day.

This recipe adapts Rao’s Famous Lemon Chicken, originally published by Saveur. Ralph has made it for years, using a recipe he ripped from the magazine and splattered with food stains.

A few years ago, he switched from using cut-up legs, thighs, and wings from whole chickens to boneless chicken thighs instead. He found that this simplified the baking process and produced tender chicken that was easier to serve and enjoy, similar to his preference for thighs in the Deep Fried Chicken Thighs recipe.

We serve the chicken thighs cut into pieces, layered in a bowl with the lemony sauce and fresh parsley. Slices of baguette help mop up the decadent sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (240 mL / 240 g) (about 6–7 lemons)
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil (120 mL / approx. 110 g), plus more for greasing
• 1½ tsp red wine vinegar (7–8 mL)
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or microplaned (or 2 small cloves if you love garlic)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 boneless chicken thighs (approx. 900 g–1.1 kg total)
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley (approx. 15 g)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and lightly grease a large roasting dish or casserole with olive oil.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season both sides generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange them in a single layer in the prepared dish.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the fresh lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and garlic until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed; the mixture should taste boldly lemony and well salted.
4. Broil the chicken thighs until they start to brown, turn, and broil the other side. 5-10 minutes per side.
5. Remove the roasting dish from the oven. Using tongs, remove each thigh, dip it in the oil mixture, turning to coat, and return it to the roasting dish. Repeat with all the thighs, then return the dish to the oven and broil both sides again.
6. Remove the dish and repeat the previous step of dipping the thighs. Reduce the heat to 180 °C, convection or top/bottom heat. Return the dish to the oven and bake for about 20–35 minutes, depending on the size of the thighs, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). About halfway through cooking, turn the thighs to ensure even flavour and browning.
7. At this stage, pour the oil mixture into a pot and bring to a boil, reducing and thickening it slightly. Just before serving, stir the parsley into the oil mixture.
8. If the skin still needs a little colour and crispness, switch the oven to broil for the final 3–5 minutes, with the thighs skin-side up.
9. Transfer the thighs to a serving bowl or dice into bite-sized pieces if you prefer eating with chopsticks or just a fork (nice TV dinner!). Spoon the warm, lemony sauce over the top and serve with slices of baguette to mop it up.

Oven-broiled Lemon Chicken Thighs

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An easy oven-bakeddish with chicken thighs and a decadent lemon-garlic sauce.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice 240 mL / 240 g (about 6–7 lemons)
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 120 mL / approx. 110 g, plus more for greasing
• 1½ tsp red wine vinegar 7–8 mL
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• 1 garlic clove pressed or microplaned (or 2 small cloves if you love garlic)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 6 boneless chicken thighs approx. 900 g–1.1 kg total
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley approx. 15 g

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and lightly grease a large roasting dish or casserole with olive oil.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season both sides generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange them in a single layer in the prepared dish.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the fresh lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, and garlic until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed; the mixture should taste boldly lemony and well salted.
4. Broil the chicken thighs until they start to brown, turn, and broil the other side. 5-10 minutes per side.
5. Remove the roasting dish from the oven. Using tongs, remove each thigh, dip it in the oil mixture, turning to coat, and return it to the roasting dish. Repeat with all the thighs, then return the dish to the oven and broil both sides again.
6. Remove the dish and repeat the previous step of dipping the thighs. Reduce the heat to 180 °C, convection or top/bottom heat. Return the dish to the oven and bake for about 20–35 minutes, depending on the size of the thighs, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). About halfway through cooking, turn the thighs to ensure even flavour and browning.
7. At this stage, pour the oil mixture into a pot and bring to a boil, reducing and thickening it slightly. Just before serving, stir the parsley into the oil mixture.
8. If the skin still needs a little colour and crispness, switch the oven to broil for the final 3–5 minutes, with the thighs skin-side up.
9. Transfer the thighs to a serving bowl or dice into bite-sized pieces if you prefer eating with chopsticks or just a fork (nice TV dinner!). Spoon the warm, lemony sauce over the top and serve with slices of baguette to mop it up.

Notes

This can also be served over rice or pasta.

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