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A cast iron skillet filled with 20-ingredient chicken thighs recipe, featuring golden-brown chicken, green olives, lemon slices, and herbs.

20-Ingredient Chicken Thigh Recipes (No Fuss)

This recipe offers a simple yet flavorful way to prepare chicken thighs, perfect for busy weeknights. It combines tender chicken with aromatic garlic, bright lemon, and briny olives for a satisfying meal.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 723

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken
  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • to taste Kosher salt
  • to taste freshly ground black pepper
For the Braise
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 garlic cloves
  • 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced, seeds discarded
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup mixed Greek olives
  • 1 lemon juiced

Equipment

  • Ovenproof pan or Dutch oven

Method
 

  1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to remove the chill.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  3. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
  4. In a large ovenproof pan or Dutch oven large enough to hold all the thighs in a single layer, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  5. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic cloves to the pan and flip the thighs over. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and has gotten a little brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Remove the chicken and garlic from the pan, and set aside.
  7. With the pan still hot, add the onions, lemon slices and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have wilted and the brown bits on the bottom of the pan have loosened, 6 to 8 minutes.
  8. Nestle the thighs skin-side up in the onion mixture and add the garlic and the olives.
  9. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken and transfer the pan to the oven.
  10. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
  11. Scatter fresh oregano leaves over the top and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 723kcalCarbohydrates: 18.6gProtein: 44.8gFat: 52.2gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 252.2mgSodium: 1040.6mgFiber: 4.2gSugar: 5.7g

Notes

This recipe is designed for ease and flavor. The chicken thighs become tender and juicy while baking in the aromatic mixture of onions, garlic, lemon, and olives.

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