Baked chicken thighs are a must have in your weekly rotation. Flavor yours with salmoriglio sauce, made up of lemon, olive oil, garlic, and garnished with parsley.
Baked Chicken Thighs with Salmoriglio Sauce
Equipment
- Small Bowl
- Lemon Zester
- Baking Dish
Ingredients
For the Salmoriglio Sauce:
- ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons oregano, dried
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt,
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
- 2 lemons, 1 zested, and 1 cut in half
For the Baked Chicken Thighs:
- 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
Optional:
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, tomatoes only, no liquid
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475.° Then, cut the ends off of a lemon, and cut it in half. Set it aside.
- Grate 2 tablespoons of lemon zest into a small bowl and stir in the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper to finish the salmoriglio sauce; stir to combine.
- Add a thin layer of salmoriglio sauce to the bottom of a baking dish, about ¼ of a cup. Make slits in the chicken thighs and arrange them into the dish.
- Cover the chicken with another layer of salmoriglio sauce, and set it aside. Nestle the two lemon halves into the baking dish, cut side up and cook for 20 minutes.
- Set the broiler to high and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes until the chicken has reached 165° degrees and has started to brown.
- Optional – If using sun-dried tomatoes, top the chicken with tomatoes and broil for another minute.
- Squeeze juice from one of the cooked lemons into the leftover salmoriglio sauce. Stir and pour it over the chicken to serve. Garnish with parsley, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Check out our web story for salmoriglio baked chicken thighs!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Salmoriglio Sauce: The traditional preparation of this sauce includes olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. We use salmoriglio sauce to flavor our baked chicken thighs.
- Lemon: Juice from cooked lemon mixed with the salmoriglio sauce adds a layer of acidic sweetness.
- Garlic: I suggest using five cloves, but don’t let my recipe tell you how much garlic to use – go for it.
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, but it’s just as tasty with bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: These are optional, but sun-dried tomatoes complement the other ingredients; they add a sweet and savory component our family loves; bites with sun-dried tomatoes are some of the best.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS
STEP 1
Pre-heat the oven to 475.° Then, cut the ends off of a lemon, and cut it in half. Set it aside.
STEP 2
Grate 2 tablespoons of lemon zest into a small bowl and stir in the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper to finish the salmoriglio sauce; stir to combine.
STEP 3
Add a thin layer of salmoriglio sauce to the bottom of a baking dish, about ¼ of a cup. Make slits in the chicken thighs and arrange them into the dish.
STEP 4
Cover the chicken with another layer of salmoriglio sauce, and set it aside. Nestle the two lemon halves into the baking dish, cut side up and cook for 20 minutes.
STEP 5
Set the broiler to high and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes until the chicken has reached 165° degrees and has started to brown.
STEP 6
Optional – If using sun-dried tomatoes, top the chicken with tomatoes and broil for another minute.
STEP 7
Squeeze juice from one of the cooked lemons into the leftover salmoriglio sauce. Stir and pour it over the chicken to serve. Garnish with parsley, and enjoy!
Did you enjoy this recipe?
Try one of these tasty chicken favorites from the Jamil Ghar.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR RECIPE
What can I serve with this meal?
Pair our oven-baked chicken with a vegetable side dish like broccoli rabe, squash, asparagus, roasted broccoli, or green beans. You can also serve it with chopped salad, roasted potatoes, or rice pilaf.
How long to bake chicken thighs?
We bake and broil in this recipe, resulting in about 30 minutes of cook time. If you choose to bake the chicken at a lower temperature, 350° to 400°, leave it in for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°.
Can I grill the chicken thighs instead?
You sure can. In fact, this is the more traditional way to prepare chicken salmoriglio.
- Preheat the grill by setting all burners to high heat for about 10 minutes. Then, cut the ends off of a lemon, and cut it in half. Set it aside.
- Grate 2 tablespoons of lemon zest into a small bowl and stir in the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper to finish the salmoriglio sauce; stir to combine. Cut the ends of 2 lemons off, and then cut them in half. Set lemons aside.
- Make cuts in the chicken thighs, about 3, and arrange them onto the grill, along with the lemons. Coat the chicken with a layer of salmoriglio sauce using a pastry brush. Cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Layer the other side of the thighs with more sauce.
- Optional – When the chicken is almost finished cooking, begin warming a cast-iron skillet on the grill. Add a tablespoon of the salmoriglio sauce. Then, add the chicken and the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Cook, turning the chicken to coat, for about 5 minutes.
- Squeeze juice from one of the cooked lemons into the leftover salmoriglio sauce. Stir and pour it over the chicken to serve. Garnish with parsley, and enjoy!