Easy Lemon Chicken Recipe

Method8 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Peel and dice the onion (1). Wash and dry the two serving lemons (2) and parsley, then halve the lemons and keep the parsley aside for garnish. In a small bowl, mix the dried oregano (2 tsp), ground coriander (1½ tsp), cumin (1½ tsp) and nutmeg (¾ tsp).

   Uses 2 tsp dried oregano · 1½ tsp ground coriander · 1½ tsp ground cumin · ¾ tsp ground nutmeg · 1 large onion, diced · 2 lemons, halved, for grilling · Fresh parsley, as needed for garnish · Water, as needed to wash serving lemons and parsley; discarded

2. 2

   Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine the measured ⅓ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup marinade oil and 2–3 tsp minced garlic.

   Uses ⅓ cup lemon juice for marinade · ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil for marinade · 2–3 tsp minced garlic

3. 3

   Step 3: Pat the chicken thighs (1½ lb) dry with paper towels and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Coat both sides with the spice mixture. Put the chicken and prepared onion in a bowl, pour over the marinade and turn the thighs until coated.

   Uses 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 6–7 pieces · Kosher salt, to season the chicken · Black pepper, to season the chicken · All the separately mixed spices from step 1 · The diced large onion from step 1 · All the marinade from step 2

4. 4

   Step 4: Cover and refrigerate the chicken for 2–4 hours. It may remain refrigerated for up to 8 hours if needed. Keep it cold until ready to cook.

   Check refrigerated chicken marinade · 120 minUses All the raw chicken, onion and marinade from step 3

5. 5

   Step 5: Heat an indoor grill pan over medium-high heat without oil. Put the lemon halves cut side down in the dry pan and grill briefly until marked. Transfer them to a clean plate and keep aside for serving.

   Uses All four lemon halves from the two fruits prepared in step 1

6. 6

   Step 6: Brush the grill pan with a little of the separate pan oil. Lift the thighs out of the marinade and put them in a single layer in the pan; discard the spent marinade and onion remaining in the bowl. Cook the first side for about 6 minutes until well browned. Avoid crowding; if necessary cook in batches.

   Turn the chicken thighs · 6 minUses The thighs lifted from the cold chicken/onion/marinade mixture in step 4 · Extra virgin olive oil, as needed to brush the grill pan

7. 7

   Step 7: Turn the chicken and cook the second side for about 6 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium if needed to avoid burning. Check that the thickest part of every thigh reaches 74°C (165°F), and continue cooking as needed. If working in batches, complete both faces and the temperature check for each batch; keep remaining raw chicken refrigerated until its turn.

   Check chicken temperature · 6 minUses The chicken in the pan from step 6, for the current batch

8. 8

   Step 8: Transfer the fully cooked chicken to a serving platter. Add the grilled lemon halves for squeezing and garnish with the clean parsley. Share between six portions; serve any separate side dishes alongside.

   Uses The fully cooked thighs from step 7 and any completed repeat batches · All the grilled lemon halves from step 5 · The washed parsley prepared in step 1, as desired