Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
This honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thigh recipe will surprise you with how easy it is to make and how tasty the chicken turns out.
The first time I made it, I was running out of time to make dinner, and all I had was boneless, skinless chicken thighs in my refrigerator. And since I almost always have honey and fresh lemon in my kitchen, I thought I’d give it a go, making pan-roasted chicken thighs with a simple honey, garlic, lemon, and pepper marinade. I was glad I did it because my little one liked it so much he asked for it again the next day. So this easy chicken recipe works. What a winner chicken dinner.
Now, I make this chicken from time to time, and sometimes, I cook it in the oven or the air fryer. If I do it in the oven, I tend to make oven-baked sweet potato or potato chips at the same time. It saves cooking time and energy.
However, my favorite way of making this lemon pepper chicken thighs is cooking them in a skillet over the stovetop, as it’s way quicker.
Why We Love These Chicken Thighs in Lemon Pepper
- Succulent, juicy, and flavorful: Done rightly, you’ll get succulent, juicy chicken that is slightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. And with our tips, your chicken will be flavorful right through the inside of the meat.
- Simple methods: You can cook the chicken according to your liking, and you’ll get the same result, which is a delicious chicken dish. Here, I use the stovetop method, but you can always cook the chicken in the oven or an air fryer. Just check below to see how I do it.
- Complementary side dish: These chicken thighs go well with mashed potatoes, oven-baked sweet potato slices, broccoli stir fry, and/ or air-fried zucchini fries.
- Wallet-friendly: It doesn’t cost a fortune to make this recipe, as we know that chicken thighs are cheaper than chicken breasts. And the other ingredients are pretty much everyday cooking items, so chances are you may already have them in your pantry.
Ingredients You Need
- Chicken Thighs: I use skinless, boneless chicken thighs because that’s what my kids love. However, you can always use bone-in chicken thighs with skin if you prefer. Just bear in mind that chicken with bones takes more time to cook.
- Honey: Any type of honey will do. Clear, runny, or set. All is good. Just choose the one you like.
- Garlic: Although I use dry garlic powder in this recipe, I sometimes use fresh garlic. You only need about 2-3 garlic cloves that are ground into a paste, or about 2 teaspoons of garlic paste.
- Lemon.
- Black Pepper: Preferably freshly coarse-ground black pepper, as it has a stronger flavor.
- Dried Parsley: You can always swap the herbs with ones you like. Dried basil, thyme, or oregano can be an option.
- Salt: I use either Celtic salt or Himalayan salt for my cooking these days. You can choose whichever salt you prefer. Just take care of how much you put according to your liking. Every type of salt has a different level of saltiness.
- Oil: Any neutral cooking oil is good. My choices will be light olive oil, sunflower oil, groundnut oil, coconut oil, or vegetable oil.
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
- Using a skewer, pierce it all over the chicken thigh pieces. This little trick helps the marination penetrate the poultry that your chicken will be flavorful even if you don’t leave it to marinate for a long time.
2. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken thighs and mix well to make sure all pieces are covered with the juice.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ teaspoon of coarse black pepper, ½ teaspoon of dried parsley, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the chicken pieces.
4. Mix well until all chicken pieces are covered with spices. Leave them to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Pan-roast on the stovetop:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or a skillet.
Once the oil is hot, place the chicken thighs in the pan and cook at medium-high heat. You can put the lid on for about 10 minutes to quicken the cooking process.
When they look fully opaque, turn the chicken pieces and continue cooking at medium-high heat with the lid on. You can keep turning to make sure all sides of the meat are brown and the chicken is cooked through. It takes approximately 20 minutes for the chicken to fully cook.
Bake in the oven:
- Prepare a roasting tray and drizzle a tablespoon of oil over the tray.
- Arrange the chicken thigh pieces on the tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes at 392°F/ 200°C, then cover the tray with aluminum foil and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Cook in the air fryer:
- Preheat the fryer to 392°F/ 200°C.
- Carefully line the air fryer basket with parchment paper, and arrange the chicken thighs in it as a single layer.
- Put the basket in the fryer and set the timer for 25 minutes, then press start. Turn the chicken when the fryer beeps.
Tips to Make The Best Chicken Thighs With Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- If possible, clean and rinse the chicken until you can feel that there are no slimy bits on it. You can squeeze some lemon juice or white vinegar over the chicken pieces and rub them well before rinsing with water until you can feel the chicken is squeaky and not slimy anymore.
- Don’t skip piercing all over the chicken pieces for at least a few minutes. This little trick can help the marination to develop flavor right inside the meat, so your chicken pieces will be tastier.
- Although chicken doesn’t take long to cook, the timing can vary depending on the size of the chicken and the method you use. Kitchen appliances like an oven may vary in heat intensity. I remember my old gas oven used to take longer to cook anything than I now cook with my new electric oven. Therefore, it’s best to always check and keep turning the meat if needed to make sure it’s cooked through and to prevent it from burning.
Storing and Reheating Matter
You can store these lemon pepper chicken thighs in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. If you want, you can also freeze them for up to 6 weeks.
To reheat, you can do it in the microwave for about 2 minutes on full power, or in an oven or air fryer for about 7-10 minutes at 338°F- 356°F (170°C-180°C) until it’s piping hot.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
If you love chicken and want more ideas of what to make with them, try this chicken and sweetcorn soup, chicken popcorn, chicken kebab, or chicken satay.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken thighs boneless, and skinless.
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt or according to taste
- 2 tablespoons cooking olive oil
Instructions
- Using a skewer, pierce it all over the chicken thigh pieces. This little trick helps the marination penetrate the poultry that your chicken will be flavorful even if you don’t leave it to marinate for a long time.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken thighs and mix well to make sure all pieces are covered with the juice.
- Add 1 tablespoon of honey, ½ teaspoon of coarse black pepper, ½ teaspoon of dried parsley, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the chicken pieces.
- Mix well until all chicken pieces are covered with spices. Leave them to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or a skillet.
- Once the oil is hot, place the chicken thighs in the pan and cook at medium-high heat. You can put the lid on for about 5-7 minutes to quicken the cooking process.
- When they look fully opaque, turn the chicken pieces and continue cooking at medium-high heat without the lid on. You can keep turning to make sure all sides of the meat are brown and the chicken is cooked through.
Notes
- In this recipe, I use skinless, boneless chicken thighs. However, feel free to use the bone-in chicken with skin. Just bear in mind that it takes longer to cook bone-in chicken.
- You can use fresh garlic if you want. For this recipe, 2-3 cloves of garlic are enough. Grind them into a paste before using.
- Any neutral cooking oil can be an option, such as sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, or coconut oil. I personally prefer sunflower oil or olive oil.
- If you like spicy food, you can add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the marinade.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutritional info in this recipe is only estimate using online calculator. You should refer to it as a guide only. Please verify with your own data if you seek an accurate info.
