Lemon Thyme Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary

Delicious, juicy, and tender baked chicken that is made with fresh lemons, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Seasoned and coated with a butter-herb sauce and baked to perfection!

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredient's You'll Need
• Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Side Dishes That Pair With Chicken
• Lemon Thyme Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary

I originally posted this recipe back in September, 2015. WOW!? Has it really been that long? This is the easiest meal of all time! Simple ingredients kind of easy. So, I decided to dust this Lemon Thyme Chicken off and bring it back to the top of the food blog!

Ohhh...this Lemon Thyme Chicken.

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But wait. I feel the need to open up and be honest about something. I'm a little embarrassed to be writing this, but my son says he hates chicken. And he asks me all the time to stop making it so much. But I'm struggling with this for so many reasons...

I'm a recipe creator. I'm known to make some DELICIOUS chicken recipes, like my Lemon Butter Chicken. And let me tell you, everyone loves these lemon thyme chicken thighs! But here's my number one struggle with my son's statement. Every time he asks what we are having for dinner and I say chicken, he rolls his eyes, slumps in his chair and says, "ugh mom, come on...again?!" Then I put the plate in front of him, he takes a bite and he's like, "OMG mom, this is delicious!" Every. Single. Chicken. Recipe.

This Lemon Thyme Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary recipe was one of the "ugh chicken" recipe moments where he took a bite, chewed it for a few seconds, and then praised my existence for being the best "cooker" in the world.

Mom's life.

Being a mom can be so hard sometimes 🙂

This is a recipe worth repeating over and over and over again...that is THIS recipe. Juicy, tender, and full of lip smackin flavor! If you like lemon chicken recipes, you're going to love this one.

Ingredient's You'll Need

Let's talk about the ingredients you'll need for this lemon thyme chicken so you know what you're getting yourself into. This recipe calls for fresh and simple ingredients. Did you catch the word "fresh" in the list of ingredients? Everything about this recipe is fresh. The marinade consists of a combination of fresh garlic, lemon juice, thyme, and rosemary, salt, and pepper.

The olive oil is an optional ingredient in the marinade. I've made this recipe both with and without oil and they turn out fabulous each time. The benefit in including oil in the marinade is to help transfer fat-soluble flavors onto the meat and also help retain the moisture. The oil also helps balance out the acid from the lemon juice which gives the overall flavor of the dish more balance.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

First, we need to make the marinade because that's what makes this recipe POP! What you'll need to do first is place the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Expert Tip: The marinating process is absolutely essential...I HIGHLY recommend you don't skip this step.

Next, take the tip of a sharp knife and make a shallow cut into each piece of chicken 2 to 3 times, about ½ an inch wide. This process helps the marinade really get in and penetrate the meat. OH flavor...I SO need you to be there! My son needs the flavor to be there! Because it's another chicken recipe. Hurray for this method because this is the step that brings...FLAVOR TO THE DINNER TABLE!

Now we need to marinate this lemon thyme chicken overnight. You're going to place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a gallon size resealable plastic bag. Rotate the bag so each piece is coated with the marinade. Seal the bag, put it on a plate, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to marinate.

After the thighs have marinated, preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place each piece in a large baking dish. Discard the bag with the marinade.

Bake the lemon thyme chicken for 30 minutes, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. When done, take the melted butter and baste a thin layer onto each piece. Allow them to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Expert Tips

• Don't skip the marinade process! Cut the slits in each piece of meat and let the marinade penetrate. The secret to this recipe is making the small slices into the chicken so the marinade can seep in. I let these marinate overnight to enhance the flavor.
• There is going to be a lot of liquid left in your dish after cooking the chicken. This is the marinade seeping out of the slits while it cooks. Feel free to discard the extra juices or add it to a bed of rice or mash potatoes if you are serving those with the meat. You can also turn this into a pasta dish by topping cooked noodles with the chicken, the leftover cooked juices, and some fresh parmesan.
• You can use any type of chicken with this recipe. I have better results with dark meat because breasts are dryer. I like to use boneless skinless thighs, but I've also used bone in thighs and drumsticks for this recipe. When it comes to bone in thighs, the meat will be even more juicy!
• If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use ground herbs. Most of the time I push for fresh ingredients, but this recipe works well with both. You can taste the difference in each version, but both are fantastic!
• I love to top this chicken with with a lemon or lime slice! I love all the citrus!

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Side Dishes That Pair With Chicken

I love serving this dish over rice and if you've never made rice in the Instant Pot then you definitely need to check out my article on How To Make The Best Instant Pot Rice. It's a game changer! This rosemary thyme chicken also pairs perfectly with these Slow Cooker Herb Roasted Garlic Potatoes. Let your slow cooker do all the hard work!

If you're looking for a salad to pair, try my Cauliflower, Cashew and Pea Salad. Fresh, crunchy, and full of flavor this salad and my Brussels Sprout Salad taste amazing with thyme and rosemary! Speaking of crunchy, you also can't go wrong with Grilled Corn with Lime Juice and Cotija Cheese.

I can’t wait to hear how this recipe turned out for you! If you’ve tried this or any other recipe of mine on the website, make sure you rate the recipe. You can also leave a comment below! I love hearing from you!

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Recipe source: inspired by Diana Rattray

Update Notes: This post was originally published in September of 2015, but was republished with an updated step-by-step instructions, pictures and tips in September 2021.