Baked Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Bone-in chicken thighs get a bright marinade of lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs, then roast alongside baby potatoes and carrots until the skin crisps up and the vegetables caramelize. Everything happens in one pan, so cleanup is a breeze. The lemon cuts through the richness of the chicken, and the herbs perfume the whole dish. It's the kind of meal that feels like home cooking at its best, comforting without being heavy.

By TasteBuds

Recipe details

Yield
4 people
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
50 minutes
Total time
1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 pieces (about 2½ lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1½ lb baby potatoes, halved if larger than a walnut
  • 4 medium medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 large fresh lemon, zested and juiced (about 6 tbsp juice total)
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems
  • 6 tbsp olive oil (divided)
  • 1½ tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • ¾ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish, optional)

Instructions

  1. Zest 2 large lemons using a microplane or zester, collecting about 2 teaspoons of zest in a small bowl.
  2. Juice the 2 large lemons into the same bowl, straining out any seeds. You should have about 6 tbsp lemon juice.
  3. Mince 5 cloves garlic.
  4. Finely chop 2 tbsp fresh rosemary.
  5. Strip the leaves from the stems of 2 tbsp fresh thyme.
  6. In the small bowl with the lemon zest and juice, whisk in 4 tbsp olive oil (60 ml), the 5 cloves garlic, minced, 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped, 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground.
  7. Pat 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2½ lb / 1.1 kg) dry with paper towels and place them in a large mixing bowl. Pour the lemon-herb marinade over the chicken and turn the pieces until every surface is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours if you have time.
  8. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  9. Halve 1½ lb baby potatoes (680 g) if any are larger than a walnut, leaving the smaller ones whole.
  10. Peel 4 medium carrots and cut them into 2-inch pieces.
  11. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the 1½ lb baby potatoes, halved (680 g) and 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces with 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml), ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground. Spread them in a single layer, leaving space in the center for the chicken.
  12. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off, and nestle the 6 chicken thighs skin-side up among the vegetables. Scrape any remaining marinade from the bowl over the chicken and vegetables.
  13. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until the chicken skin is deeply golden and crisp, the internal temperature reaches 175°F (80°C), and the vegetables are tender with browned edges. The potatoes should be fork-tender and the carrots caramelized in spots.
  14. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. The juices will settle and the skin will crisp up even more.
  15. If using, chop 2 tbsp fresh parsley and scatter it over the chicken and vegetables. Serve straight from the pan, spooning any pan juices over the top.