PALEO ROATED LEMON AND HERB CHICKEN

This recipe has quickly become one of my family favorites because it is paleo budget friendly and because it is easy to make. The only tricky part is that you must stir the chicken fairly frequently in the pan to make sure the skin doesn't stick. Other than that, it is pretty hard to mess this one up, and it's a one-pot recipe, which makes it even better!
Chicken thighs are a great protein source and they are also usually less expensive than other cuts of meat. I find that they freeze and defrost well, so whenever I see them on sale I grab a few packages at a time. Leaving the skin on in this recipe allows the outside to get crispy, while the inside stays moist and juicy. The combination of the lemon juice and herbs makes for a tasty but not overpowering sauce.
This recipe goes great with a simple side-salad with Italian Dressing or some Crispy Brussel Sprouts. The sauce and chicken also tastes great over some simple zucchini noodles made with a spiral slicer and sauteed in some ghee or olive oil.
Chicken thighs are a great protein source and they are also usually less expensive than other cuts of meat. I find that they freeze and defrost well, so whenever I see them on sale I grab a few packages at a time. Leaving the skin on in this recipe allows the outside to get crispy, while the inside stays moist and juicy. The combination of the lemon juice and herbs makes for a tasty but not overpowering sauce.
This recipe goes great with a simple side-salad with Italian Dressing or some Crispy Brussel Sprouts. The sauce and chicken also tastes great over some simple zucchini noodles made with a spiral slicer and sauteed in some ghee or olive oil.
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Ingredients:
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 3 1/2 lbs.
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. bacon fat/lard or tallow
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. prepared ground mustard
- 3/4 cup minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp. ghee or olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Equipment:
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Small bowl
- Large oven-safe skillet or braising pan
- Stirring spoon
- Oven mitt
- Meat thermometer
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Thinly slice 1 lemon, removing the seeds. Cut the other lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half of the lemon into a small bowl (about 1 1/2 Tbsp.). Cut the other half of the lemon into quarters for serving and set aside. Trim any excess skin or fat from the chicken and season with the salt and pepper.
2. Place a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon fat/lard or tallow to the pan and allow to melt. Add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin side up and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the chicken over so it is skin side down and a cook until skin is browned, about 10 minutes. You will need to stir the chicken around frequently so that it does not stick to the pan. Place the lemon slices in the pan, and place in the oven to roast for 10 minutes or until the chicken cooked through (165F on a meat thermometer).
3. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the chicken and lemon slices to a plate. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the thyme, oregano, onion, garlic and mustard to the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring the entire time. Add the chicken broth and the reserved lemon juice and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the chicken and lemon slices back to the pan and allow to warm up, about 2 minutes. Taste sauce and add additional sea salt and ground black pepper if desired. Add the olive oil or ghee to the sauce and stir.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat, top with the fresh parsley and serve with the extra lemon quarters.
NOTE: If your chicken is not browning in the pan and oven as much as you might like, you can stick it under the broiler for 2 minutes before serving to help get the skin extra crispy.
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 3 1/2 lbs.
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. bacon fat/lard or tallow
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. prepared ground mustard
- 3/4 cup minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp. ghee or olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Equipment:
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Small bowl
- Large oven-safe skillet or braising pan
- Stirring spoon
- Oven mitt
- Meat thermometer
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Thinly slice 1 lemon, removing the seeds. Cut the other lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half of the lemon into a small bowl (about 1 1/2 Tbsp.). Cut the other half of the lemon into quarters for serving and set aside. Trim any excess skin or fat from the chicken and season with the salt and pepper.
2. Place a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon fat/lard or tallow to the pan and allow to melt. Add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin side up and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the chicken over so it is skin side down and a cook until skin is browned, about 10 minutes. You will need to stir the chicken around frequently so that it does not stick to the pan. Place the lemon slices in the pan, and place in the oven to roast for 10 minutes or until the chicken cooked through (165F on a meat thermometer).
3. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the chicken and lemon slices to a plate. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add the thyme, oregano, onion, garlic and mustard to the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring the entire time. Add the chicken broth and the reserved lemon juice and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the chicken and lemon slices back to the pan and allow to warm up, about 2 minutes. Taste sauce and add additional sea salt and ground black pepper if desired. Add the olive oil or ghee to the sauce and stir.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat, top with the fresh parsley and serve with the extra lemon quarters.
NOTE: If your chicken is not browning in the pan and oven as much as you might like, you can stick it under the broiler for 2 minutes before serving to help get the skin extra crispy.