Succulent fall-off-the-bone braised chicken thighs made easy in your cast iron skillet. This clean and healthful dinner recipe is perfect for low-carb, paleo, or keto living.
I recently took a poll on my Instagram stories asking what type of recipes you all would like to see in the coming months.
The overwhelming consensus was easy paleo or keto dinner recipes.
WELL, this was music to my eyeballs, because these are the exact type of recipes I enjoy creating.
Needless to say, this simple take on braised chicken thighs turns out so finger-licking good!
The skin is nice and crispy, and the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
The whole experience just melts in your mouth.
All you need to prepare this recipe is chicken thighs, lemon juice and zest, rosemary and some spices. BOOM! Grub. You likely already have most of the ingredients on hand!
Serving Options:
Serve the chicken thighs with your favorite side dishes, and you’re golden!
Might I suggest Cauliflower Rice , My Easy Go-To Stir Fry Vegetables Recipe , Pesto Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, and Kale , Orange-Ginger Roasted Carrots, or my Crowd-Pleasing Roasted Vegetables?
This is a marvelous meal prep recipe for preparing ahead of time and eating on throughout the week. It also makes for great meal prep work lunches!
Enjoy!
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your all your support!
If you make this Lemon Rosemary Braised Chicken Thighs, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Lemon Rosemary Braised Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- 1 whole lemon sliced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients for the chicken except for the lemon slices to a zip lock bag and shake well. Seal and refrigerate to marinate for at least 20 minutes, up to 12 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough oil to lightly coat the surface.
- Once hot, place chicken on the surface skin-side down and sear 3 to 5 minutes, until skin is golden-brown and appears crispy. Flip to the other side and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and repeat for remaining chicken.
- Once all chicken has been browned, transfer all of it back to the skillet including the juices from the marinade. Arrange lemon slices on top of chicken, cover the skillet with foil, and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with your choice of side dishes.
I know cast iron is thicker but with how heavy they are we don’t want to break the glass top on our stove. Can you use a regular pan for this? Would it alter cook time?
Hi Tara! I haven’t tried it using a regular pan, but I believe it would work. The chicken may turn out less crispy but other than that, the cook time should be the same. If it’s easier to bake them in the oven, you could try this recipe instead: https://www.theroastedroot.net/lemon-garlic-baked-chicken-thighs/ You could add rosemary and use skin-on chicken thighs if you prefer them over boneless. Enjoy!!
Is the cooking time the same if I’m using boneless chicken thighs? Thanks
Hi Jessica! For boneless skinless thighs, would bake the chicken for 20 minutes. Chicken is considered cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, so you can check using a meat thermometer if you’d like! Enjoy! xo
Can you use a Dutch Oven to cook this in?
Hi Kate! Yes, absolutely! Follow the exact same instructions, but with your Dutch oven. I’ve done this in the past, too! xoxo
If I used orange juice and orange slices for the marinade, how would that alter the taste?
Hi Andrew,
It will make the chicken a little sweeter with less tang. I believe it will still taste great, although there will be slightly less flavor since lemon juice is pretty acidic. Let me know if you try it!
This has become a favourite for my hubby and I. We have made it half dozen times. It is 5 star!
That’s so great to hear, Patricia!! Thanks so much for the sweet note. I hope you and your husband are staying well during this trying time! xoxo
I’ve made a dish like this and added Thyme, Baby Potatoes, and Carrots cut into small pieces as big as the Baby Potatoes. Also, I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead of Almond Oil.
Also some Black Pepper, that and ginger are the best when cooking chicken.
Ooh la la! That sounds great! Thanks for sharing, Joshua! xo
Nor the lemon slices….
Oops! Thanks for catching…added!
how long to you marinate the chicken? Would it be ok overnight?
Hi Rachel,
At least 20 minutes for marinating. Up to 12 hours, so overnight works 😀
Hey Julia!
This recipe looks great but I don’t see the rosemary listed in the ingredients.
Oops! Thanks for catching that! Added!