Super Simple Crispy Lemon & Herb Chicken {Whole30}

This is one of the simplest ways to cook chicken, yet it’s totally packed with flavor. With a bounty of fresh ingredients muddled into a marinade, it’s light, flavorful, and healthy. Yay.  If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can either mix them in a food processor or simply smash them together in a bowl with a wooden spoon.  I love easy solutions.

During spring and summer, onions and lemon are abundant… farmer’s markets are speckled with green and yellow everywhere!  And the fresh herbs… they’re growing wildly all over the place.  I love it.

I created this recipe for my spring cookbook {pictured in the sidebar to the right}.  I’ve now made it about a gazillion times though, so I can just wing it now.  I just muddle some fresh herbs, onion, garlic, olive oil, and lemon.  No measuring anything… it’s just that kind of simple easy dish.  Once you make it once, you’re good to go for the future.

Wondering which onion to use?  Is it a scallion or a green onion… and what’s a spring onion??  They have many names… but they’re all pretty similar.  Scallions and green onions tend to be long and thin all the way down, good for chopping up and using raw.  Spring onions, on the other hand, are onions picked early, in spring.  They have a small bulb at the base, and can be used both for the greens and he onion bulb.  People often refer to them all as the same thing… depending on what part of the country or even world you live in, you may hear them referred to as one more than the other.  For this, use whatever you can get your hands on 🙂

As you’ll see below, I’ve made several varieties of this dish.  The simple lemon and herb combo is absolutely delicious, a fave around here… but if you’re wanting to change things up, try adding in some Dijon mustard and honey, too!  We alternate version around here.  🙂

makes four thighs

INGREDIENTS

for chicken…

4 chicken thighs, bone-in/skin-on

1 tbsp ghee (or butter)

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

dash of crushed red pepper

1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds

handful chopped spring or green onions

for marinade…

¼ cup chopped green onion, green and white parts

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp finely minced garlic

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

*for an alternate version, try adding 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp Dijon mustard into the marinade!

**a cast iron pan is recommended… you want a pan that can be used on the stovetop and in the oven

***legs or bone-in/skin-on breasts will work, too- just adjust cooking time as needed 🙂

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

To make the marinade…

Finely chop the onion, garlic, and parsley

Add them to a mortar or small bowl

Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, red pepper, and olive oil

(If trying the Dijon-honey version, add them now too)

Grind everything until a saucy texture has formed

(Alternatively, chop in a food processor, if preferred)

Pat chicken things dry

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the skin

Scoop the marinade over the chicken thighs,

smothering the herbs and garlic over the tops as much as possible

Cover and marinate for at least one hour, up to 24 hours

I’ve made this without marinating too- ’cause sometimes I have

like zero patience and just wanna eat stat- it’ll do, but as

with all meats, the longer they marinate, the more flavor they will have 🙂

(It’s best to cook chicken at room temp- remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking)

Before cooking, remove any large chunks of herbs, garlic, and

onion from the chicken skin, and place them under the thighs…

this will help create a crispy skin on top

Sprinkle with red pepper flakes- the more you add, the spicier it will be

Add ghee to a large pan (cast iron preferably) over medium-high heat

Place the chicken skin-side down (the herbs, garlic, and onion will now be facing up)

Once in the pan, do not move the chicken…

leaving it still helps make the skin nice and crispy 🙂

Let it cook for about 3-5 minutes, until golden brown

Flip the thigh over and cook the other side for about 2-3 minutes more

(The herbs and garlic will now be on the under side- helps cooks the flavor into the meat)

A note about garlic- when burnt, it gets bitter…

this is why you want it super finely minced- so it just blends in

Slice the lemon into thin rounds- cut in half if needed to fit between chicken pieces better

Chop a hefty handful’s worth spring or green onion

Lay the lemons around the chicken and

sprinkle with the chopped onion (reserve some for garnish)

Place the chicken on the center rack of the oven, uncovered

Cook for about 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked

through and has a nicely browned crispy skin

     Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes

Sprinkle the remaining onions over the chicken

Optional: serve with rice (zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for Whole30)

and a couple of lemon wedges

That’s it!  Gobble up and enjoy!!