Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken Thighs with Garlic Herb Butter

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-04 · Updated 2026-06-04

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

Juicy chicken thighs roasted with bright lemon and cracked black pepper, finished with a garlic herb butter glaze for rich flavor and moist texture. This American-inspired chicken recipe, ready in about 50 minutes, pairs bone-in chicken thighs, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 40 min Serves 6 American cuisine 320 cal/serving

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Ingredients

6 pieces bone-in chicken thighs
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp olive oil

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Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat dry 6 bone-in chicken thighs and rub evenly with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp cracked black pepper, 1 tbsp lemon zest, and 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice.
Step 2: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp unsalted butter with 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, stirring occasionally until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Place the chicken thighs skin-side up on a baking sheet lined with foil and roast for 35-40 minutes until skin is golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Step 4: Remove chicken from oven and brush each thigh with the garlic herb butter mixture. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and juices to redistribute.