Braised Chicken Thighs with Lemon, Garlic and Olives
A simple but delicious recipe for perfect crisp-skinned chicken, cooked with briny olives, lemons that turn sweet and jammy, and of course, garlic. It's one of our all-time favorites.
Servings: 2 -4 servings
Ingredients
- 4-6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (or breasts)
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves peeled but whole
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1 lemon thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
- 1/2 cup olives pitted (mixed Greek, Kalamata, or Cerignola)
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180ºC
- Dry the chicken well and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set a large, oven-proof skillet on medium-high heat (the pan should be large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer). Add the oil and place the chicken, skin-side down, and leave it alone until the skin is deep golden brown, 7-9 minutes. Flip the chicken and scatter the garlic cloves into the pan. Cook until garlic is brown is spots and beginning to soften (don’t let garlic burn), 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken and garlic from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pan, add the onions, lemon slices and thyme, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have softened and turned golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and lemon juice. Add back the thighs (skin-side up, including any accumulated juices) and scatter in the garlic and the olives. Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 25-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (165º F / 75º C on an instant read thermometer).
Notes
UPDATE:This recipe has been updated. We've lessened the amount of chicken stock by a 1/2 cup because a few of you felt the dish had just a bit too much liquid. Thank you for your feedback!
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