Skillet Lemon Rosemary Chicken Recipe

Cook time: 25 minutes

• Marinating time: 1 hour
• Yield: Serves 3 to 4

We are using fresh rosemary. Dried rosemary can get a bit "stick"-like, so I'm not sure how well it would do as a substitute (if you try it with dry rosemary, please let me know how it works out for you in the comments!). I suggest that if you don't have fresh herbs, use half as much of a dry Italian herb mix.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• Zest of one lemon (1 to 2 teaspoons)
• 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 pieces)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3 or more shallots, peeled, halved (optional, can use 1/2-inch thick wedges of red onion, or skip)

METHOD

1 Place the rosemary, lemon zest, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper in a mini-chopper and pulse until well ground. (If you don't have a mini-chopper, just mince the rosemary and garlic very fine, and mix with the rest). Then add the tablespoon of olive oil and pulse again.

2 Place the chicken thighs in a (non-reactive) bowl and rub all over with the rosemary lemon herb rub. Arrange the thighs skin-side down and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Let marinate for an hour at room temperature, or chill several hours or overnight, and let sit at room temp for an hour before cooking.

3 Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a cast iron (10 to 12-inch) or other large relatively stick-free oven-proof skillet (hard anodized aluminum will work well) on medium high to high heat. As soon as the oil is shimmery hot, pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towels and lay them skin-side down in the pan. Sear the thighs without moving them for 3-5 minutes or until nicely browned. Turn the thighs over in the pan so they are skin-side up. Remove the pan from heat.

 

4 Place garlic cloves and either shallots or onion wedges in between the chicken thigh pieces in the pan. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reach 175°F.

Remove from oven.

As a safety note (having burned my hand in the past), I recommend rubbing an ice cube on the handle of the hot pan as a way to cook it down quickly. Then be sure you keep the handle covered with a pot holder so that someone (including yourself) doesn't inadvertently pick up the pan with the hot handle on their bare hands.

Serve with a side of rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes, or over a bed of baby arugula or spinach leaves for a low carb option.