These Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Garlic Butter are savoury, zesty, and oh so delicious! It only requires a handful of ingredients and comes together so quickly, making it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or as a meal prep for the week.

This lemon garlic chicken recipe has been one of my go-to recipes lately. I’ve been a little obsessed with fresh rosemary these last weeks and have been using it in everything and this garlicky buttery chicken recipe is no exception. I believe there’s no such thing as too much garlic or rosemary so this chicken is bursting with flavour.

A white plate with multiple lemon rosemary butter chicken thighs.

Why You’ll Love This Skillet Chicken Recipe

The ingredient list is short but the flavours are amazing. You will love are you only need a literal handful of ingredients to make this lemon rosemary chicken thighs recipe.
This lemon garlic chicken can be made in 30 minutes or less. The chicken thighs really only need to be seared for 5 to 6 minutes per side so you’ll have dinner on the table in no time.
It’s easy to adjust. If you like your chicken to be more lemony, add more lemon. More garlicky, add more garlic. Customize it as you wish!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make lemon rosemary chicken thighs with garlic butter.

chicken thighs — I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Skin-on, boneless chicken thighs are wonderful as well.
salt & pepper
olive oil — you can also use another oil of your choice, such as avocado oil.
butter — use unsalted butter as you’re already seasoning with salt.
minced garlic — I like to mince garlic ahead of time and freezing it, so I don’t have to mince it for every recipe.
fresh rosemary — honestly, I love fresh rosemary for the chicken thighs. While you can use dried rosemary, I very much recommend using fresh.
lemon juice — I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice as it can have a bitter aftertaste. Use fresh lemon juice.

How to Make Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper.

Coat the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
On medium heat, heat up your skillet (preferably cast iron, this is the one I use) and add the olive oil before adding in the chicken thighs, smooth side down, and then cook for 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for 4 minutes.

Rosemary, butter, and garlic added to the pan of chicken thighs.

Add the butter, garlic, and rosemary to the pan. Allow the butter to melt, tilt the pan, and spoon the melted butter that pooled on the side (with the garlic and rosemary) on top of the chicken thighs. Continue to do so until the garlic and rosemary have cooked through, around 1 to 2 minutes.
Finish off by squeezing half a lemon over the top of the chicken thighs before serving.

Overhead view of lemon rosemary garlic butter chicken thighs in a cast iron pan.

Lemon rosemary garlic butter chicken thighs.

Recipe Tips

If your chicken thighs are wet (from thawing), be sure to pay it dry. Do not wash chicken! Simply pat it with a paper towel so the salt and pepper can stick better and you can get a nicer sear when added to the pan.
To get a nice sear, make sure your skillet is hot before adding the chicken in.
Do not overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches if necessary. Be sure to add more oil for the second batch.
Avoid moving the chicken when you first place it in. Allow the chicken to sear. The chicken will come off the skillet once it’s ready. If you move it too early, the chicken will stick to the skillet and tear.
Chicken thighs can be swapped out for chicken breasts but you’ll have to change the cooking time to avoid overcooking it.
Chicken thighs are done when they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165F/74C. Use an instant read thermometer to check.

My Recommendation

This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!

Get it Now!

Other things you can serve this lemon garlic chicken with are roasted asparagus, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, roasted beets, wild rice, coconut rice, roasted rosemary potatoes, rosemary mashed potatoes, and more!

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: store the cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. I usually like to pack this with some rice and mushrooms or another vegetable!
Freezer: allow the chicken thighs to cool before transferring them into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer.
Make this into a lemon rosemary chicken salad: serve with chopped romaine lettuce, red onions, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Ingredients

8-10 chicken thighs, boneless skinless
½ tsp salt & pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, stem removed
½ lemon, juiced

Instructions

Coat the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
On medium heat, heat up your skillet (preferably cast iron, this is the one I use) and add the olive oil before adding in the chicken thighs, smooth side down, and then cook for 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for 4 minutes.
Add the butter, garlic, and rosemary to the pan. Allow the butter to melt, tilt the pan, and spoon the melted butter that pooled on the side (with the garlic and rosemary) on top of the chicken thighs. Continue to do so until the garlic and rosemary have cooked through, around 1 to 2 minutes.
Finish off by squeezing half a lemon over the top of the chicken thighs before serving. Serve with lemon slices if you desire.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Canadian

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