Easy One-Pan Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
This recipe features crispy, golden-brown chicken thighs cooked in a lemon garlic butter sauce, delivering a perfect balance of buttery richness and fresh brightness with minimal cleanup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4–6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds / 900g)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large fresh lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or parsley, chopped (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken broth or water
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat a large cast iron or heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and warm until shimmering, about 1-2 minutes.
- Place chicken thighs skin-side down in the skillet. Press lightly with a spatula or tongs to ensure even contact. Cook for 6-8 minutes without moving until skin is deep golden brown and crispy.
- Flip the chicken and cook the other side for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned.
- Reduce heat to medium. Push chicken to one side of the pan. Add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 4 minced garlic cloves to the empty side. Stir gently until butter melts and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water) and squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon along with the zest. Scrape up browned bits from the pan bottom with a spoon.
- Tilt the pan and spoon the lemon garlic butter sauce over the chicken repeatedly for 3-4 minutes to baste and finish cooking. Check internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Sprinkle chopped fresh thyme or parsley over the chicken. Remove pan from heat and let chicken rest for 5 minutes in the pan.
- Serve chicken thighs hot with extra pan sauce spooned over.
Notes
Pat chicken skin dry before cooking to ensure crispiness. Do not overcrowd the pan to avoid steaming. Add garlic last when melting butter to prevent burning. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness at 165°F (74°C). Let chicken rest after cooking to lock in juices. For dairy-free, substitute butter with olive oil or vegan butter. Optionally finish in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes after searing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 22
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Protein: 28
Keywords: lemon garlic butter chicken, one-pan chicken thighs, crispy chicken skin, easy chicken dinner, weeknight chicken recipe