Mediterranean · Easy
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One-Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
Crisp-skinned chicken thighs roasted with lemon, garlic and baby potatoes in a single pan — a weeknight dinner that tastes like a Sunday roast.
Prep10 min
Cook30 min
Total40 min
Serves4
The most important technique here is patience: let the skin sit undisturbed in the hot pan until it releases on its own. After that, the oven does almost everything. The lemon slices caramelise in the chicken fat and the potatoes soak up every bit of it.
Method
- Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with kitchen paper and season both sides with salt, pepper and oregano.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the thighs in skin-side down and cook without moving for 6–7 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases easily.
- Flip the chicken and move it to the edges of the pan. Toss the potatoes with the remaining oil and a pinch of salt, then nestle them, the garlic, lemon slices and thyme around the chicken.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 22–25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part.
- Squeeze over the lemon juice, scatter with parsley and rest for 5 minutes before serving straight from the pan.
Cook's notes
- Boneless thighs work too — reduce oven time to about 15 minutes.
- Drying the skin is the single most important step for crispness.
- Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge; reheat in a hot oven, not the microwave, to keep the skin crisp.
Allergy note: Always check ingredient labels for allergens such as gluten, dairy, nuts, soy and eggs, particularly when cooking for others.