Recipe of the Day
Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs With Lemon, Garlic, and Herbs
A weeknight technique that eats like a Sunday dinner: chicken thighs seared skin-down until the fat renders into the pan, finished in the oven with lemon, garlic, and whatever hardy herbs you have.
45 minutes · Serves 4 · Easy
Evan Swigart via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Why we’re making it
Because it is the most forgiving roast in the repertoire. Thighs do not dry out, the schedule bends to yours, and the pan sauce is built from what the chicken leaves behind.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 1 lemon, half sliced thin, half juiced
- 4 sprigs thyme or rosemary
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp butter
Preparation
- Pat the thighs dry, season generously with salt and pepper, and let them sit while the oven heats to 425°F.
- Set an ovenproof skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. Lay the thighs in skin-down and leave them alone for 10 to 12 minutes, until the skin is deep gold and releases on its own.
- Flip the thighs. Tuck in the garlic halves, lemon slices, and herbs. Transfer to the oven and roast 15 to 18 minutes, until cooked through.
- Move the chicken to a platter. Set the skillet over medium heat, add the stock and lemon juice, and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer until reduced by half, swirl in the butter, and pour over the chicken.