Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Garlic Herb Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

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 pan-seared to golden crispness, finished with a bright lemon and garlic herb sauce for a flavorful weeknight dinner. This Mediterranean-inspired chicken recipe, ready in about 35 minutes, pairs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, olive oil, garlic cloves, minced for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 350 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.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 25 min Serves 4 Mediterranean cuisine 350 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Pat dry 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and season both sides with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper.
  2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and sear for 7-8 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook an additional 5 minutes.
  3. Step 3: Remove chicken from skillet and set aside on a plate. Reduce heat to medium and add 4 minced garlic cloves, sautéing for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Step 4: Pour in 1/2 cup chicken broth and 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, scraping up browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon.
  5. Step 5: Stir in 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves and 2 tbsp unsalted butter, swirling skillet until butter melts and sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
  6. Step 6: Return chicken to the skillet, spoon sauce over the top, cover, and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
  7. Step 7: Garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley before serving with your choice of sides.

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