Chicken Thighs with Basil and Lemon
Fresh basil, lemon and garlic add bright, lively flavor to weeknight-quickish roast chicken thighs.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 2 pounds total (you can also use other chicken parts—see Kitchen Notes)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, chopped, about 1/2 cup (you can also use a medium onion)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (see Kitchen Notes)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed and larger leaves torn (see Kitchen Notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Trim excess fat from chicken thighs, but don’t go crazy—fat equals flavor. Season thighs generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in a large, lidded, ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the thighs, skin side down, and cook until the skin is nicely browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn thighs and brown the underside for about 5 minutes, reducing the heat to medium halfway through. Transfer thighs to a plate and reserve.
- Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes. The shallot should be softening, but not browning—reduce heat, if needed. Add garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle flour in the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. You want to cook off the raw flour flavor. Later, the flour will thicken the sauce as everything cooks together.
- Add broth and lemon juice, and stir, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in basil and return chicken to the pan, skin side up.
- Cover the pan and transfer it to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes (10 minutes worked for us). Using an instant read thermometer, check chicken for doneness—it should be at least 165ºF. If not, return it to the oven for about 5 minutes. The sauce should be nicely thickened. If not, transfer chicken to a platter and tent with foil to keep it warm, then heat the sauce on the stovetop. (Alternatively, if it’s too thick, thin with just a little water.) Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. To serve, plate chicken thighs and spoon some sauce over it.
Kitchen Notes
Choose your chicken. For dishes like this, meaty, juicy chicken thighs are our go-to. You can also use various chicken parts or skin-on, bone-in breasts, if you like.
Lemon juice—fresh or bottled? We use both here, but most often go with bottled lemon juice for simple dishes like this. If you choose to use fresh lemons, you can add the zest to the sauce and maybe garnish the dish with thin lemon slices added to the pan at the end.
Pick your basil. Again, the most common basil found in garden centers and grocery stores is perfect for this dish. If you happen to be growing tiny Piccolino basil, that will work too. Don’t use Thai basil.
Liz's Crockery Corner. Marion had this 1880s platter before she had me, having picked it up at a farm auction before we met. You'll find its story included in our recipe for Instant Pot pot roast.