Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Garlic Lemon Sauce
Juicy chicken thighs pan-seared to golden perfection and finished with a bright, garlicky lemon sauce. This Mediterranean-inspired meal-prep recipe, ready in about 35 minutes, pairs bone-in chicken thighs, salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 4, 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.
Ingredients
- 6 pieces, skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4, minced garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp, chopped fresh parsley
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pat dry 6 bone-in chicken thighs with skin-on. Season both sides with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place chicken thighs skin-side down and cook for 7-8 minutes until skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Step 3: Flip chicken thighs and cook for another 6-7 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Step 4: Reduce heat to medium, add 3 tbsp unsalted butter to the skillet. Once melted, stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Step 5: Pour in 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 1/2 cup chicken broth, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until sauce reduces slightly.
- Step 6: Return chicken thighs to the skillet and spoon sauce over them. Cook for an additional 2 minutes to warm through.
- Step 7: Sprinkle 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley over the chicken before serving.









