These marinated broiled chicken thighs are moist and savory thanks to bone in chicken and the most delicious lemon herb marinade. With simple ingredients, crispy, juicy thighs cook in less than 30 minutes.
Why this recipe is just so good....
- Quick cooking - Who loves options? There are many ways to cook chicken; grilling, baking, frying etc. These marinated broiled chicken thighs are easy and quick, ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Full of flavor - Marinating chicken is my favorite way to guarantee lots of flavor and juicy meat. You can change up the marinade but as long as it has some type of acid (citrus, vinegars, wine), oil and seasonings, that is the balance needed.
- Healthy and inexpensive - Chicken is still one of the lower priced meats you can buy in the grocery store. It is high in protein and very filling. If you are concerned about the additional fat from the skin you can remove it. But I would only do so after cooking so that the thighs remain moist and juicy.
If you or your family love chicken thighs, you should check out some of my other chicken thigh recipes: Chicken Chesapeake,, Dutch Oven Chicken Thighs and Air Fryer Thighs.
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make broiled chicken thighs:
- olive oil
- salt, pepper
- lemon
- garlic (cloves or dried ground)
- fresh herbs - sage, parsley, thyme (or dried equivalents)
- skin on, bone-in chicken thighs
Ingredient Notes
- You can choose your favorite herbs for this recipe. Some other choices might be: celery seed, cayenne, cilantro, chives, dill, tarragon, paprika or rosemary. Most fresh herbs can be substituted with dried versions.
- However, they are much more concentrated and you only need a small amount. Taste the marinade and see if you would like to add more.
- Many people ask if they can use bottled lemon juice instead of a fresh lemon. In my opinion, fresh produce is always preferred for the flavor. But in a pinch, you can use bottled but check if it a fairly fresh bottle (expiration date can sneak up on us). And add an extra teaspoon of sugar to the marinade.
How to make marinated broiled chicken thighs
- Combine all ingredients, except lemon pepper, in a measuring cup and stir well.
- Place chicken thighs in a bowl or plastic storage bag and pour marinade over them.
- Close bag or cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to cook, remove thighs from refrigerator, drain and discard the marinade. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Preheat oven to broil setting.
- Lightly spray an oven safe skillet or broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place chicken thighs skin side down in the pan and place in the oven on the middle rack.
- Broil chicken for 10 minutes. Remove pan, carefully flip the thighs over. Baste thighs with pan juices and place back in the oven under the broiler.
- Broil for another 10 minutes. Test the largest thigh with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature must reach at least 165°F.
- If the chicken needs to broil a bit longer, I would suggest leaving the oven door open just a bit so you can peek in. The oven will be very hot at this point and the skin on the chicken can burn. Mine were fairly large thighs and needed a total of 25 minutes. But I watched them carefully for the last few minutes. A little bit of char on top is ok and adds to the caramelized tasted. But you don't want the entire top of the skin to be burnt.
- Remove chicken to a platter and let them rest for about 5 minutes. This will help the juices stay in the meat before you cut into it.
Recipe and Cooking Tips
- Trim off any excess, hanging skin from the chicken thighs.
- There is no need to wash your chicken first. You will actually spread more bacteria in your sink and risk cross contamination.
- Marinate for a minimum for 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours. Truthfully, I have never marinated meat longer than that that and I usually start in the morning and cook the food at night. The meat will become very mushy if it's in the marinade too long.
- Don't use a metal bowl to marinate meat since it can cause the flavor to change due to a chemical reaction. Use a glass or plastic container..
- I don't reuse any marinade if it had raw meat in it. Food Safety says you can as long as you boil it first but I have never reused any. If I want to baste during cooking, I will reserve some marinade separately.
Serving Suggestions
Our side dishes for chicken is usually a rice dish and 1-2 vegetables. I eat lower carb and will skip the rice or make steam in the bag cauliflower rice. Add some butter or olive oil and some seasoning and I really don't miss the rice.
Some delicious quick cooking vegetable dishes to try are Pan fried yellow squash, Blackened Green Beans or Marinated Broccoli.
Would you like to try a yummy, sugar free dessert? I highly recommend Sugar Free Apple Cake, Pound Cake or Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a matter of personal preference. While both are great forms of protein, the thighs have more fat due to the skin. But that is exactly why they are juicier and less likely to be dry and flavorless. The thighs are also cheaper than chicken breasts.
You can definitely salvage overcooked, dry chicken. Some suggestions would be to make a quick pan gravy with chicken broth, seasonings and a bit of flour, cornstarch or Arrowroot powder.
You could also make a dipping sauce of mayonnaise and hot sauce or chili sauce. Or make a quick lemon, herb and butter sauce.
And you could remove the skin, shred the meat, add barbecue sauce and you will have a quick version of pulled chicken.
If you have tried this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!
More easy chicken thigh recipes to try:
Marinated Broiled chicken thighs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These marinated broiled chicken thighs are moist and savory thanks to bone in chicken and the most delicious lemon herb marinade. With simple ingredients, crispy, juicy thighs cook in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
- Juice of one lemon *
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 sprigs of thyme *
- 2 sage leaves *
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper *
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except lemon pepper, in a measuring cup and stir well. Place chicken thighs in a bowl or plastic storage bag and pour marinade over them.Close bag or cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to cook, remove thighs from refrigerator, drain and discard the marinade. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Preheat oven to broil setting. Lightly spray an oven safe skillet or broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.Place chicken thighs skin side down in the pan and place in the oven on the middle rack.
- Broil chicken for 10 minutes. Remove pan, carefully flip the thighs over. Baste thighs with pan juices and place back in the oven under the broiler.
- Broil for another 10 minutes. Test the largest thigh with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature must reach at least 165°F.
- If the chicken needs to broil a bit longer, I would suggest leaving the oven door open just a bit so you can peek in. The oven will be very hot at this point and the skin on the chicken can burn. Mine were fairly large thighs and needed a total of 25 minutes. But I watched them carefully for the last few minutes. A little bit of char on top is ok and adds to the caramelized tasted. But you don't want the entire top of the skin to be burnt.
- Remove chicken to a platter and let them rest for about 5 minutes. This will help the juices stay in the meat before you cut into it.
Notes
* You can use bottled lemon juice if necessary. It won't have the same fresh taste as a whole lemon but is usable. Just add an extra teaspoon of sugar to the marinade.
*If needed, substitute ½ teaspoon of a dried herb for the fresh herb.
*Test the largest thigh with an internal meat thermometer. It should register at least 165°F.
*Store leftover, cooled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave for 2-3 minutes. Cover with a paper towel or plastic wrap. Or heat a skillet over medium heat and reheat thighs until hot. You can reheat them in a bit of chicken broth or a little bit of water with some seasonings.
*Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
*Nutrition reflects that all but 1 tablespoon of oil was drained from the marinade.
Jean says
I marinated the chicken in the morning and they really absorbed the flavor so much. Will make again