Greek Lemon Hen – Downshiftology


This lemon rooster recipe is all about juicy, tender, and golden-baked rooster thighs coated with the very best lemon-herb Greek marinade. It’s fast to prep, straightforward to cook dinner, and the outcomes are improbable!

Greek lemon chicken in a baking dish
Picture: Gayle McLeod

If there may be one rooster recipe I might reside off of, it’s this Greek lemon rooster. I’m a sucker for skin-on rooster thighs given how naturally juicy and flavorful they’re. Plus, I like the way it’s just about unattainable to overcook rooster thighs within the oven. However this vibrant and herby lemon rooster marinade is what makes this dish so satisfying.

In the event you’ve been making my recipes for some time, you could have come throughout totally different variations of this marinade on my web site beforehand. And that’s as a result of Mediterranean recipes are the guts and soul of how I cook dinner! From my video on easy rooster marinades to this Greek sheet pan rooster and Greek rooster kabobs, lemon rooster recipes have change into a Downshiftology staple.

In the event you watch the video under, you’ll see that I serve up these Greek lemon rooster thighs with a facet of lemon herb rice (from my cookbook) and air fryer inexperienced beans to finish the very best dinner ever. However preserve scrolling for much more facet dish concepts!

Ingredients for Greek lemon chicken

Lemon Hen Substances

You’ll be glad to listen to that this recipe is extraordinarily pantry-friendly, together with the rooster marinade! Right here’s what you want. 

  • Hen: Bone-in, skin-on rooster thighs lend the juiciest meat and crispiest outer pores and skin. In the event you’re utilizing frozen rooster thighs, allow them to thaw within the fridge in a single day earlier than making this recipe.
  • Liquids: A mix of extra-virgin olive oil, recent lemon juice, and Dijon mustard make up the bottom of the marinade. And if you wish to amp up the lemon taste, add a little bit of lemon zest to the combo or avoid wasting lemon slices so as to add on prime earlier than cooking.
  • Seasonings: Dried oregano, dried thyme, recent garlic, salt, and black pepper are the last word Mediterranean taste combo. And for this recipe, do stick to dried herbs as a substitute of recent ones.

Discover the printable recipe with measurements under

How To Make Greek Lemon Hen

Make the marinade. The prep time for that is tremendous minimal, simply stir the marinade substances collectively in a small bowl. In the event you’d like to save lots of additional time, make the marinade a day prematurely and retailer it within the fridge. Then give it a whisk earlier than utilizing it the subsequent day.

Greek lemon chicken marinade in a bowl

Marinate the rooster. Add the rooster thighs to a big bowl, pour the marinade on prime, and provides the rooster a fast toss. Then let the rooster marinate for 1 to 2 hours within the fridge, or as much as 8 hours.

Marinating Greek lemon chicken in a bowl

Bake the rooster. Assemble the rooster in a baking dish pores and skin facet up (I’ve linked my favourite one under). Pour the remaining marinade on prime and bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350°F (180°C). You possibly can verify to see if the rooster is finished at 175°F (80°C) through the use of an instant-read thermometer. For additional crispy pores and skin, activate the highest oven broiler within the final 2 to three minutes.

Greek lemon chicken in a white baking dish

Regularly Requested Questions

How lengthy are you able to marinate rooster in lemon juice?

Acidic marinades shouldn’t be used for greater than 8 hours. After this level, the rooster thighs will change into far too tenderized and have a gamey-like texture. For me, the perfect time is about 1 to 2 hours.

Can I exploit boneless skinless rooster breasts or rooster thighs?

Sure, you should use this identical marinade to cook dinner with each varieties of rooster. For rooster breasts, observe my best-baked rooster breast recipe. For rooster thighs, you may scale back the time by half.

A close up of Greek lemon chicken

How To Retailer Leftover Hen Thighs

  • To retailer for the week: Get pleasure from parts all through the week by storing them within the fridge for 4 to five days.  
  • To freeze for later: Retailer leftovers in a freezer-safe container for as much as 3 months. Then thaw them within the fridge the day earlier than you intend to reheat them. Belief me, discovering a batch of this rooster in your freezer is a gold mine!
  • Reheating rooster: Excellent news, rooster thighs are much less prone to dry out when reheating. However you may all the time add a bit of moisture again in by including a splash of water on prime or layering a humid paper towel over the rooster piece earlier than microwaving it.

Extra Simple Hen Recipes

I’ve acquired lots extra rooster thigh recipes or rooster breast recipes so that you can get pleasure from. However listed here are a few of my favorites that I make most frequently:

I hope you’re keen on this Greek lemon rooster as a lot as I do! When you make it, let me know your ideas within the remark field under.

A baking dish with Greek lemon chicken

Greek Lemon Hen

This lemon rooster is the very best dinner with juicy, tender, and golden rooster thighs coated in a scrumptious lemon-herb Greek marinade. Watch how I make it and serve it up within the video under!

  • Make the marinade: In a small bowl, stir collectively the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, mustard, salt, and pepper.

  • Marinate the rooster: Add the rooster thighs to a big bowl and pour the marinade on prime. Marinate for 1 to 2 hours (and as much as 8 hours) within the fridge.

  • Switch to baking dish: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the rooster in a baking dish and pour the remaining marinade on prime.

  • Bake the rooster: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, till the rooster is absolutely cooked and registers 175°F (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Optionally, you may baste the rooster just a few instances whereas it cooks. And for additional crispy pores and skin, activate the highest oven broiler within the final 2 to three minutes. In the event you’re serving this dish up for a cocktail party, you may garnish it with lemon slices if you would like.

Energy: 404kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 24g, Fats: 33g, Saturated Fats: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 6g, Monounsaturated Fats: 17g, Trans Fats: 0.1g, Ldl cholesterol: 142mg, Sodium: 707mg, Potassium: 325mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.3g, Vitamin A: 136IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 2mg

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