Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs Recipe
Lemon pepper chicken thighs are juicy pieces of chicken smothered in layers of bright lemon flavor and freshly ground pepper. Using fresh lemon, lemon zest, and lemon pepper seasoning creates a mouthwatering depth of flavor. Let me show you how to make it
Ingredients
- 6 Bone-in chicken thighs about 2.2lb
- 2 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 Lemon sliced into 12 rounds
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ Tablespoon onion granules
- ½ Tablespoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ Tablespoon Smoked paprika
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F/200C
- Prep the chicken: remove any unwanted fats and skin from the chicken thighs. You can wash the chicken if you prefer but make sure to do so safely. Pat the chicken dry with a kitchen paper towel and transfer it to a Ziploc bag or a bowl.
- Season: add olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, lemon zest, Italian seasoing, onion granules, garlic granules, smoked paprika, sugar, salt and black pepper to the chicken in the bag. Seal the Ziploc bag and massage the seasoning into the chicken making sure each chicken is well coated.
- Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes for the flavor to meld
- Arrange the sliced lemon into a rimmed baking sheet
- Bake: Arrange the marinated chicken thighs on the lemon slices skin side down and bake for 35-40 minutes. Flip it halfway through until the chicken skin is crispy or the internal temp of the chicken reaches 165F.
Air fryer lemon pepper chicken thighs instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 365F/180C
- Follow the oven instruction above to season and marinate the chicken thighs.
- Spray the air fryer basket lightly with oil and arrange the chicken thighs skin side down and air fry for 25-30 minutes flipping halfway through the cooking time or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F /74C
- PS: the size of the chicken thighs and the wattage of your air fryer will determine how long you air fry your chicken. What is important is that you cook the poultry to a safe temperature of 165F
- Rest the chicken for at least 5 minutes for the juice to redistribute into it before you slice or serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 370kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 24gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 113mgPotassium: 344mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 413IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
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