Lemon Herb Chicken
Lemon herb chicken thighs with potatoes and leeks are packed with zesty flavor, and comes together all in one pan. The marinade is made with lemon juice, olive oil, fresh herbs and some spices, and adds the perfect flavor to the chicken and potatoes.
Chicken thighs are one of my go-to proteins to experiment with because they’re so versatile and can be made in endless ways. Using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs helps ensure a juicy chicken with maximum flavor.
I’ve been testing more chicken recipes with Shabbat dinner in mind. My hope is to create an archive of hearty recipes that would be delicious for big (or small) family dinners, holidays and even weeknight meals.
You can prepare this recipe during the week as a simple dinner, or serve it at your next dinner party. It pairs well with nearly any side dish!
If you don’t eat chicken or prefer boneless pieces, this recipe would be great with boneless chicken breast or even salmon.
What you’ll need for lemon herb chicken thighs
This one-pan meal takes only 15 minutes of prep time. Here’s what you’ll need for this flavorful recipe:
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs– this recipe can be made with thighs or drumsticks, or a combination of both
- Russet potatoes and leeks: the potatoes absorb so much of that delicious lemony flavor, while the leeks caramelize in the oven adding a touch of sweetness
- Lemon herb marinade: made with olive oil, lemon juice, orange and lemon zest, fresh herbs and spice. It’s a delicious sauce for chicken, fish or even veggies
- Chop the potatoes and leeks and add them to a large skillet or braiser pan. Toss together with a little olive oil, salt & pepper
- Place the chicken on top of the veggies and prepare the marinade in a separate bowl
- Pour the marinade over the chicken and veggies
- Bake covered on 400 F for 25 minutes, then uncovered on 425 F for 30-35 minutes. I like to set it under the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes
I recently starting each chicken again and splurged on a new braiser pan that I’m absolutely obsessed with. It’s the perfect pan to serve in straight out of the oven, and makes this recipe that much simpler to make.
Spoon some of that sauce over the chicken before serving with some extra chopped parsley. This lemon herb chicken is easy to make and packed with flavor. I know you guys are going to love it!
More hearty dinner recipes you’ll love:
One-pan Lemon Orzo and Salmon
Balsamic Fig Chicken Thighs
Maple Pecan and Walnut Crusted Salmon
Lemon Herb Chicken & Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4-6 bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled
- 2 leeks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Lemon Herb Sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, plus more to top
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Roughly chop the potatoes and slice the leeks into rounds then place them in a large braiser pan or skillet. Toss the veggies with 2 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt & pepper.
- Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and leeks.
- In a separate bowl, prepare the marinade by combining all of the sauce ingredients together and whisking together until smooth.
- Pour the sauce over each piece of chicken, and pour any remaining sauce over the veggies.
- Cover the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 425 F and finish baking uncovered for 30-45 more minutes. I set the pan under the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes to crisp the top. Baking time will vary depending on oven and baking dish. The potatoes should be fork tender before cooking uncovered.
- Once ready, spoon some of the glaze over each chicken piece before serving and top with fresh chopped parsley.
The flavors are great. However, next time I will cook the potatoes fist until and then pour the marinade – the acid in the marinate prevents the potatoes from softening, so even after 1.5 h of cooking the potatoes still had crunchy consistency.
So happy to hear that!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit with me and my dad! 🙂 I wasn’t 100% faithful to the recipe since I used some of what I had on hand (I used 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, dried thyme instead of fresh, no lemon zest, some lime juice bc I ran out of lemon juice, and some orange juice because I didn’t have an orange) and it turned out great!! Next time u will get bone-in skin-on chicken thighs so they’re extra juicy and crisp. Thank you!!
I’m so happy it turned out well, Amanda! The best part about cooking is being able to modify a recipe based on what you have around 🙂