Chicken thighs are one of my favorite ingredients to keep on hand for easy dinners at all times. They’re inexpensive, full of flavor, and harder to overcook. Thanks to having their bones left in and skin left on, you can get a gorgeous crispy skin while the chicken stays nice and juicy. That makes this one pot meal an easy and delicious dinner, foolproof even when you have kids running all over the place come dinnertime like I do! My lemon and artichoke chicken thighs remain one of my more popular recipes, so I wanted to use chicken thighs again in a different, but equally flavorful meal. I like to serve these herb and apple roasted chicken thighs over mashed potatoes with whatever roasted vegetables I have on hand.
To make this easy dinner recipe, first heat your olive oil in a skillet. Add minced garlic and chopped shallots and cook until translucent. Season your chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Remove the shallot and garlic mixture from the skillet and set aside, then place the chicken skin side down in your skillet. Sear them until the skin is crispy and brown before flipping over and cook until browned. Return the shallots and garlic to the pan along with one sliced apple and transfer to the oven to bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. A squeeze of lemon juice, some freshly ground black pepper, and a final sprinkling of fresh herbs complete this cozy dinner. I use a regular cast iron skillet to cook these chicken thighs (and lots of other things), but I have my eye on an enameled cast iron skillet like this one!
This recipe is a great example of one that sounds a little fancy and complicated but is really so easy. Leftover chicken can be shredded and put on salads or made into a really great chicken salad. You can also reheat the leftovers and enjoy it as is. If you even have any leftover! My husband had seconds of this easy chicken thigh recipe and all my kids gobbled it up too! It’s sure to be a family favorite.
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp. fresh herbs (I used a mix of thyme, rosemary, and sage)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 shallots, finely shopped
- 1 apple, cored and sliced
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with salt, pepper, and herbs. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add garlic and shallots. Cook until fragrant and translucent, which will only take a few minutes so don't let them burn! Then remove and set aside.
- To the same pan, place the chicken thighs, skin side down. cook for 8-10 minutes until golden brown, then use tongs to flip
- Add the shallot and garlic mixture back to the pan, along with the sliced apple. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and roasted vegetables.
- Enjoy!
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[…] to the instant pot, this chicken is super tender. And because you’re using chicken thighs it’s extra juicy. The sauce that coats the whole thing is so good you’ll want to drink […]