• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

TastyAZ

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Latin Food
    • Lunch/Dinner
  • Eat Out
    • Brunch
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Lunch
  • Lifestyle
    • Beauty/Health
    • Family
    • Travel
  • About Tasty AZ
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

These Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs are flavorful and easy to make.

This recipe uses the best aromatics you can infuse in chicken; garlic and lemon.

chicken thighs with lemon wedges on cast iron skillet
Garlic, honey, lemon and pepper are a winning flavor blend

These 2 ingredients yield and incredibly delicious chicken thigh and the addition of honey and pepper compliments the dish perfectly.

For this recipe we need skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. But feel free to use chicken breast if you’d like or to remove the skin and bone from the thighs.

Ingredients to marinate chicken thighs

In this recipe we use a lot of aromatics to infuse the chicken thighs with flavor.

  • Garlic: Aromatic and honestly, chicken’s best friend. It diminishes the strong poultry flavor/smell.
  • Lemon: In this recipe we use lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning and lemon zest for an extra lemony zing.
  • Honey: Honey allows for a balanced flavor and helps caramelized the chicken for lovely texture and flavor.
  • Lemon pepper: This seasoning enhances the lemony flavor in this recipe but you can substitute it for additional lemon zest and ground pepper (fresh if possible).
  • Paprika: Adds color and smokey flavor to the chicken thighs.
  • Onion powder: to round up the seasoning and add another aromatic layer to the recipe.
paprika, onion powder and lemon pepper seasoning in a bowl
paprika, onion powder and lemon pepper seasoning

How long to cook a chicken thigh

The best answer to this question is to get a meat thermometer and check the internal temperature of your chicken to know that is fully cooked.

How long to cook a chicken thigh is going to depend on a lot of factors, the most important ones are how big your chicken thighs are and what cooking method you are using.

Times and cooking temperatures vary significantly, so a food thermometer is your best bet to get a precise cooking time.

Using a meat thermometer ensures that your chicken is cooked to perfection. The ideal meat temperature for chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chicken thighs with marinade on a sheet
Marinating the meat yields amazing flavor

Chicken thighs make a great inexpensive dinner. They are cheaper than chicken breast and way more flavorful.

It is also more difficult to overcook chicken thighs than chicken breast so the end result is a more flavorful dish with less hassle.

This Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thigh yields a crispy chicken skin and juicy and tender meat.

You can pretty much customize this recipe to your liking. I first saw it on royaleats tiktok. You can easily swap or omit ingredients according to your liking.

Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs on a cast iron skillet with lemon and parsley
The honey helps create a glossy sauce

Difference between chicken thighs and chicken breast

There are some significant differences between chicken thighs and breast. Chicken thighs are considered “dark meat” while chicken breast is “white meat”.

The texture of chicken thighs is more dense than the texture of chicken breast, that is why chicken breast is ideal to shred while thighs are better whole or chopped.

Chicken thighs are more moist than chicken breast and they are more flavorful.

Chicken thighs can withstand higher cooking temperatures and are more difficult to over cook or dry out while chicken breast are easily overcooked.

Chicken breast are a leaner cut of meat, therefore considered a healthier choice when fat is a concern.

Chicken thighs are higher in fat and cholesterol so if you are on a low fat diet, use chicken breast instead.

If you like this Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs, you may also like this garlic shrimp recipe.

Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

This recipe is easy to make and full of flavor
5 from 18 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 335 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Chicken Thighs
  • 4 Garlic cloves minced
  • 4 Tablespoons Honey
  • 1 Lemon Juice and Zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon Smoked paprika Trader Joe's is my favorite brand
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Lemon pepper seasoning or extra lemon zest and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Onion powder
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl mix all the minced garlic, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and lemon pepper seasoning
    4 Garlic cloves, 4 Tablespoons Honey, 1 Lemon, 1/2 teaspoon Smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons Garlic powder, 2 teaspoons Lemon pepper seasoning, 1 teaspoon Onion powder, Salt to taste
  • Mix well into a uniform paste
  • Rub the chicken thighs with the paste, making sure to get under the skin of the chicken
    4 Chicken Thighs
  • Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours
  • Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat and place the chicken thighs skin side down. Brown for 1 to 2 minutes on high and flip them
  • Use the chicken broth as needed to deglaze the skillet
    1/2 cup chicken broth
  • Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the chicken thighs until internal temperature reaches 165 farenheit
  • Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or a salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 19gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 357mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 224IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg
Keyword chicken thigh
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Previous Post: « Colombian Ajiaco Soup
Next Post: Air Fryer Fish Tacos with Mango Slaw »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

HEY THERE!

Thanks for stopping by!

Whether you are looking for a recipe, a new restaurant or a travel destination, I hope you feel inspired by the things I share here.

Stay In Touch

* = required field

Categories

Recent Posts

  • TikTok Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream
  • STK Scottsdale
  • Cantina Gueros Mexican Food
  • TikTok Churro Cheesecake
  • Where to eat in Downtown Phoenix

Copyright © 2022 TastyAZ