Lemon Butter Chicken Thigh Recipe - WonkyWonderful (2024)

November 26, 2018 By Nicole Harris 63 Comments

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This Lemon Butter Chicken Thigh Recipe is quick, easy and bursting with flavor! Juicy chickenthighs cooked with butter, lemon, thyme and garlic. The perfect one pan weeknight dinner! This 30-minute dinner recipe is gluten free, grain free, low carb and Keto friendly.

This post was originally published October 7, 2015.

How do I make chicken thighs?

I typically eat chicken breast and every once in awhile I will change things up and havedrumsticks. But the chicken thighs . . . they are just so darn juicy and flavorful. And this Lemon ButterChicken Thigh Recipe with Thyme and Garlic will blow your mind! Pan frying chicken thighs is the best method, in my opinion. It gets a nice brown crust and you can finish the thighs in a great sauce.

This recipe starts with Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs. I use theboneless skinless variety because I just do not like to bother with bones or skin. Plus they cook up abit faster.

How do you make chicken thighs crispy?

Get that pan hot, hot, Hot! Make sure the pan and oil are nice and hot before adding the chicken. This tip goes for anything you are wanting to brown on the stovetop.

In the mood for another great chicken dinner?

Spinach Artichoke Smothered Chicken
Easy Roast Chicken
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Lemon Garlic Chicken Drumsticks
Easy Honey Garlic Chicken
Easy Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

What ingredients do you need for thisLemon Butter Chicken Thigh Recipe?

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
Chicken Broth
Butter
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Thyme

This truly is my new favorite chicken recipe. It is not really surprising because lemon, garlic andthyme are a few of my favorite things. Not to mention BUTTER! Now if I could only find a way to addcheese to this dish it would be perfection.

What tools do you need for this recipe?

You will need a Sharp Knife,Good Cutting Boardand Frying Pan.

Lemon Butter Chicken Thighs

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This Lemon Butter Chicken Thigh Recipe is quick, easy and bursting with flavor! Juicy chickenthighs cooked with butter, lemon, thyme and garlic. The perfect one pan weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

2 lbs Boneless Skinless Foster Farms Simply Raised Chicken Thigh Fillets
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth - divided
1/4 Cup butter
10-12 Garlic Cloves - halved
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
3-4 Fresh Thyme Sprigs

Instructions

Heat olive oil in large fry pan over medium/high.
Generously coat chicken with salt and pepper.
Fry chicken in oil until brown. (5-6 minutes each side)
Remove chicken from pan and reduce heat to medium/low.
Quickly add 1/2 cup chicken broth and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze.
Add butter and garlic. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
Return chicken to pan and add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth.
Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Baste chicken with liquid twice during this time.
Remove lid. Add lemon juice and thyme.
Continue cooking until chicken until fully cooked and no pink remains. (about 10 minutes)

Notes

Prep all ingredients before you begin.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4Serving Size ounces
Amount Per ServingCalories 327Sodium 272mgCarbohydrates 1gProtein 22g

This post contains affiliate links. Basically, I get a little kick back for sending you over to purchase. . . at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

This post is sponsored by Foster Farms®, the opinions expressed are my own.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Beverley says
October 7, 2015 at

delicious recipe with a perfect blend of flavours xoxo
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  October 8, 2015 at
  
  Thanks!!!
  Reply
John says
January 23, 2016 at

This looks amazing!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  January 27, 2016 at
  
  Thanks John!
  Reply
Mandi says
February 4, 2016 at

I want to make this tonight! Looks so delish! What would you recommend as a side for this?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  February 4, 2016 at
  
  I recommend rice, quinoa or pasta. You can put the rice or pasta on the plate, top with chicken then spoon over that lemony, buttery juice. Enjoy!
  Reply
Sandra says
February 10, 2016 at

How many people can this recipe feed?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  February 16, 2016 at
  
  This can easily feed 4 people. Enjoy!
  Reply
Cheri says
February 10, 2016 at

This was such a delicious meal. Thanks so much for posting it. This will be a staple dinner in our home since my 3 and 4 year old boys couldn’t get enough, as well as myself.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  February 16, 2016 at
  
  I love hearing that. Thanks Cheri!
  Reply
cecilia says
February 24, 2016 at

can i make it a day ahead, put in fridge, and then warm up in microwave
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  February 25, 2016 at
  
  Hi Cecilia. Yes, I think that would work fine. Just make sure not to microwave too long. You wouldn’t want to dry out the chicken. Enjoy!
  Reply
Alicia says
February 25, 2016 at

I’m trying this recipe tonight. I absolutely love how easy it is and that I usually have all of these ingredients on hand. I have a 2 year old, a 7 month old, no time, and a very hungry man. Wasn’t sure what I was going to do with these chicken thighs until I stumbled across this post. Thankfully I had all ingredients minus the FRESH thyme sprigs. I do have thyme so hopefully it is still flavorful. Thanks!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  February 29, 2016 at
  
  Awesome! Sheesh, I bet you are crazy busy with a 2 year old and 7 month old! I hope you all enjoyed 🙂
  Reply
Jenn says
March 2, 2016 at

My family absolutely LOVED this!!! I’m making it again tonight. I will need to double the recipe this time so I can have it for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for an AMAZING DISH
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  March 2, 2016 at
  
  Awesome! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
  Reply
Amreen says
March 16, 2016 at

This looks so good! Can’t wait to try it!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  March 24, 2016 at
  
  Thanks and Enjoy 🙂
  Reply
Joe Lanteri says
April 19, 2016 at

Excellent. I did use 1/2 cup of Sauvignon Blanc to deglaze the pan, otherwise followed it to a T. Delicious.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  April 21, 2016 at
  
  Oooooh, that sounds amazing! I’ll have to try that next time I make it.
  Reply
Nan Rasor says
May 2, 2016 at

I made this and it was pretty good but it didn’t look anything like your photo. I think because i used boneless, skinless chicken thighs like the recipe calls for and the photo is of a nice bone-in, skin-on thigh. The finished product that I made looked a little pale. I reduced the chicken stock by half because it would have been swimming in it. Like I said, it was tasty, but not as pretty as your photo.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  May 5, 2016 at
  
  Most importantly they tasted good 😀 I did use boneless and skinless. Perhaps brown them in the pan a tad longer next time to get that nice golden brown color.
  Reply
  - Lisa says
    March 20, 2017 at
    
    That picture you’re using is with the skin on. Skinless chicken is not going to look like that!
    Reply
    - Nicole Harris says
      March 21, 2017 at
      
      Nope. Usually I may second guess myself but there is a picture of the package of chicken thighs with the label. The pan does have to be quite hot to get the skinless thighs to brown. And if you’re into skin on your chicken (I’m not) you can definitely get a much deeper brown color.
      Reply
      - Lisa says
        March 21, 2017 at
        
        Okay. I have never gotten it to look like that without skin. Thanks you!
Megan says
June 13, 2016 at

I just made this and my kids (2 and 4) literally inhaled it! My husband and I loved it, as well. Thanks for sharing – going to add this to chicken rotation for sure!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  June 15, 2016 at
  
  Oh, I’m so happy to hear that. Anytime a 2 and 4 year old eat dinner without negotiations is a success!
  Reply
Solidworks crack says
August 19, 2016 at

These are soooo good!!!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  August 25, 2016 at
  
  Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed!
  Reply
Kjana says
October 3, 2016 at

I loved the recipe, however I always find that my finished products are never fully cooked. For example my chicken will have to sit for another 5-10 minutes to ensure that it is fully finished. I was always convinced it was my oven, but this was made on the stove top so it must be me! Other than that, amazing recipe!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  October 12, 2016 at
  
  I always find that my cook time for chicken is a few minutes off from recipes. There are just so many variables that can affect the timing. But, as long as you are not eating raw chicken you are good to go 😀
  Reply
Atoia Fluker says
October 27, 2016 at

DELICIOUS!!! I had a taste for lemon chicken and came across your recipe. I didn’t want to add cream and this was PERFECT!!! Thank you
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  October 27, 2016 at
  
  Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed 🙂
  Reply
Carol Rhodes-Rice says
December 8, 2016 at

Do you have the calorie and nutrient contents? This recipe came up on a Keto recipe website and it’s kinda critical to keto diet types.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 9, 2016 at
  
  I do not have nutrition info on my site and I’m not very familiar with the keto diet so I cannot say if this recipe applies. I know a lot of people use MyFitnessPal.com for nutrition info.
  Reply
kim says
April 18, 2017 at

we love this recipe… all of us: me, hubby, kids ages 5, 3 and 1 1/2 so that is saying something! love that it is flavorful and easy to pair with so many healthy sides. the kids don’t fuss while it cooks as they can smell it and are just excited to eat. recently added in to our standards and eating every 1-2 weeks. well done and thanks 🙂
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  April 20, 2017 at
  
  Awesome! I’m glad to hear it 🙂
  Reply
Courtney says
May 12, 2017 at

Can we substitute veggie oil for olive oil cause I’m out and can’t run to the store and can we use lime instead of lemon cause I’m out lol
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  May 17, 2017 at
  
  Sorry, I missed your comment. I hope you were able to sub out the oil, that should be fine. As far as lime instead of lemon . . . I’m not sure. I guess if you really enjoy lime flavor it would work 🙂
  Reply
Kimberly Mccall says
June 4, 2017 at

This was Fantastic!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  June 8, 2017 at
  
  Awesome!
  Reply
Natalie Krueger says
September 10, 2017 at

My husband loved this so much that he drank the sauce right out of the pan! Lovely recipe, like chicken piccata using thighs! Thanks!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 11, 2017 at
  
  Haha! That is a good review 😀
  Reply
Alisha says
October 18, 2017 at

This was an awesome recipe! Way more flavorful than expected. I added in steamed broccoli and spinach to make it a little healthier, and ladled the chicken and sauce over quinoa. I only wish there had been more sauce–I think next time I’ll add sauvignon blanc in addition to all the other ingredients.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  October 18, 2017 at
  
  Oh, that sounds delicious!
  Reply
EasyRoasted5 says
December 11, 2017 at

I’ve tried a lot of Lemon Butter Chicken Thigh Recipe , and with this one I feel like I finally hit gold! Full lemon, garlic and thyme are a few of my favorite things chicken taste, beautiful gold colour, perfect salt, no fussy steps and done in the same amount of time (or less) as other recipes. Life changer!This was really good. Thanks
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 15, 2017 at
  
  Awesome!
  Reply
Natalia says
February 6, 2018 at

This sounds amazing! Going to try it tonight, I don’t have fresh thyme, dry will have to do. I’m going to make stacked potatoes with herbs, and Parmesan as a side dish.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  February 7, 2018 at
  
  OMG! That sounds amazing!
  Reply
Monica P says
February 19, 2018 at

Can I use thighs that have the skin & bone?? Thanks⚘
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  February 20, 2018 at
  
  Absolutely! The cooking time may change a bit so keep a close eye on it 🙂
  Reply
Jas says
May 13, 2018 at

This was incredible. Simple, easy, yet packed with incredible flavor! Thank you!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  May 15, 2018 at
  
  Glad you enjoyed 🙂
  Reply
Anthony “Tony” Colleluori says
August 31, 2018 at

Hi Nicole!
I just began cooking b/c I am in stage 4 CKD, but I have a foodies love for food and I like to eat out so I seek that quality at home. Your recipe was so easy quick and tasty. I added Mushrooms and onions so my broth came a little watery but my wife loved it anyway (she is prejudiced. She likes me… I think LOL) I used low salt College Inn Chicken broth. It was just so tasty even my somewhat finicky eater loved it and used bread to soak up the gravy!
I don’t leave many replies like this but I just had to compliment you on a very nice recipe that was fit for the whole family and truly easy to make. Thank you!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 5, 2018 at
  
  Thanks Tony! I’m so happy that this recipe was a hit 😀
  Reply
Samantha says
September 30, 2018 at

This recipe is delicious! I made it exactly as written and it was a hit! Thank you!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  October 1, 2018 at
  
  Awesome!!!
  Reply
Melissa says
December 2, 2018 at

I will be trying this today but i had a question in the recipe it says 2 filets i am using a package of about a pound of bones skinless theighs should i double or triple the ingredients?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 4, 2018 at
  
  Apologies, I have been off my computer for a couple days. This recipe uses 2 pounds of chicken, so if you use 1 pound you want to decrease ingredients by half 🙂
  Reply
Bryan says
December 8, 2018 at

I’m always on the lookout for more chicken recipes to try out, I get tired of chicken really quick when I’m meal prepping so I have to constantly switch it up. This will be the next recipe I try, thank you!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 10, 2018 at
  
  I hear ya! Enjoy 🙂
  Reply
Mutsa says
February 10, 2020 at

What a recipe! Absolutely top notch! Keeping this one in the bank forever! Thank you for sharing!
Reply
Brittany says
November 30, 2020 at

Thank you for sharing, my dinner is almost done and wanted to post before I forgot lol!
Reply