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    Home » Recipes » Easy Dinner » Baked Chicken Thighs recipe with Citrus flavors

    LAST UPDATED: August 18, 2021 • FIRST PUBLISHED: December 6, 2020 By Toni Dash 23 Comments

    Baked Chicken Thighs recipe with Citrus flavors

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS TITLE

    Baked Chicken Thighs is packed with delicious flavors from an easy citrus marinade. This easy recipe makes moist, perfectly cooked chicken in 45 minutes cooking time.

    BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS TITLE

    Baked Chicken Thighs is a staple recipe that will be on your ‘family loves’ list. 

    The flavors are fantastic and the chicken is perfectly cooked every time. 

    This delicious recipe goes with almost any side dish. Mashed potatoes are a favorite but that’s just a start!

    cooked the chicken thighs close up

    Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

    Chicken breasts are very popular but the best flavor comes from chicken thighs. 

    Dark meat has more flavor and doesn’t dry out when being cooked. 

    This recipe purposely uses bone-in and skin-on instead of boneless skinless chicken thighs too.

    The skin has more fat which keeps the chicken moist when cooking and adds flavor. 

    Cooking meat on the bone also adds flavor. 

    cooked the chicken thighs on plate

    Recipe Ingredients + Notes

    Olive oil. Adding oil to a marinade helps better convey the marinade flavors to the chicken and keeps it moister when cooking.

    Chicken Stock. Use low sodium chicken stock. This allows the chicken from getting overly salty.

    Garlic cloves.

    Rosemary. Fresh rosemary is chopped and added to the marinade.

    Salt. We use kosher salt which is a less salty flavored salt.

    Pepper. Use freshly ground black pepper if possible. 

    Citrus fruits: orange, lemon and lime. The juice and zest from one each of these fruits is used in the marinade. An additional lemon is sliced and baked with the chicken.

    Chicken Thighs. Use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. They’ll have more flavor and stay moist. 

    baked chicken thighs ingredients

    Chicken Thigh Size

    Chicken parts seem to vary wildly these days. It used to be ‘normal’ to have 8 chicken thighs equal between 2 1/2-3 pounds.

    Now chicken thighs can be almost double in size. So you might only get 4 thighs for 2 1/2-3 pounds total weight.

    This recipe is based on using 8 chicken thighs for a total weight of 2 1/2-3 pounds. 

    If you find 8 thighs to weigh more than that don’t worry!

    You’ll need to adjust the cooking time to be long enough for the chicken to reach 165 degrees F internal temperature. 

    cooked the chicken thighs in pan above

    How to Make it – Step-by-Step

    There are only two steps to make these chicken thighs in the oven!

    STEP 1. Marinate the chicken.

    making the citrus marinade

    In a gallon zip close plastic bag combine all ingredients besides the chicken. Olive oil, chicken stock, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, citrus juice and zest.

    Mix together. This can be done by sealing the bag and shaking the ingredients together.

    Add the chicken thighs. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal. 

    Massage the marinade into the chicken from outside the bag. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator between 3-6 hours.

    Do not marinate longer than 6 hours.

    STEP 2. Bake the chicken.

    cooking the chicken thighs

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

    Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish or on a sheet pan. Discard the marinade.

    Add the lemon slices in between the chicken thighs.

    Bake for 40-45 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.

    Remove from oven and allow to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

    ‘Resting’ allows the juices to redistribute for juicy chicken!

    cooked the chicken thighs

    What to Serve with Baked Chicken Thighs

    These oven baked chicken thighs are perfect any time of the year. In the summer just adding a green salad may make it a perfect meal.

    For the colder months a hearty side dish is perfect. The flavor of the chicken is very flexible to pair with other flavors.

    Here are some ideas:

    Oven Roasted Vegetables

    Twice Baked Potato Casserole

    Instant Pot Artichokes (and don’t forget the artichoke dipping sauces) 

    Roasted Potatoes with Lavender

    Mexican Fiesta Cauliflower Rice

    Recipes FAQs + Pro Tips

    Always zest the citrus fruit before juicing. It’s much easier this way. 

    To get more juice from citrus fruits: place in the microwave for 10 seconds before juicing!

    Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator! Do not marinate at room temperature.

    Do not marinate the chicken longer than 6 hours. The acids in the citrus fruits will begin to cook the meat.

    Do not reuse the marinade. After raw chicken has been sitting in the marinade it should be discarded. The bacteria from raw meat can cause illness if ingested.

    Easy tip for making marinade. Set the plastic bag in a large liquid measuring cup or mixing bowl. Fold the top out so the bag stays open while adding the ingredients.

    This helps the bag stay stable so you don’t have to hold it while adding ingredients. Refer to the photo for Step 1 above.

    Let the chicken rest after cooking. Allowing the chicken to ‘rest’, or sit out of the oven, for 5-10 minutes allows the juices to redistribute. This will produce the moist chicken we love!

    When are chicken thighs done?

    When they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

    Use an instant read thermometer and insert in the thickest part of the chicken.

    Do not touch the probe to the bone in the thigh or go all the way through the thigh. It should be in the center of the meat.

    Favorite Tools

    Zester

    Here is my absolute favorite zester. It only take the outer peel never the bitter white pith underneath. It’s very fast and makes it feel like you are zesting butter. 

    Citrus fruit Juicer

    I love hand held juicers. They make them in different sizes for different citrus fruits. They are the most efficient way to easily extract all the juice from the fruits that I’ve found.

    Instant Read Food Thermometer

    The only accurate way to know if meat is done is by temperature. An instant read thermometer does this instantly so heat isn’t escaping from the oven while you check the chicken.

    It’s a must have kitchen tool for cooking meat or grilling meat.

    Storing Leftovers

    Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

    cooked chicken thighs on plate

    More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Grilled Chicken Thighs with Thai flavors
    • Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Vegetables (Sheet Pan recipe)
    • Cranberry Apple Skillet Chicken
    • Salt & Pepper Roasted Chicken Thighs
    • Mango Chicken
    Did you make it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!
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    BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS TITLE

    Citrus Baked Chicken Thighs

    These delicious chicken thighs are easy to make and perfect any time. Juicy chicken with a light citrus flavor and crispy skin!
    5 from 15 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Marinating Time: 4 hours
    Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 532kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup Olive oil
    • ¼ cup Chicken stock low sodium
    • 2 Garlic cloves minced
    • 2 tablespoons fresh Rosemary chopped
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
    • 2 Lemons Zest and juice from 1 lemon plus 1 lemon sliced
    • 1 Lime zest and juice
    • 1 Orange Zest and juice
    • 8 bone in skin on Chicken thighs 2-3 pounds

    Instructions

    • In a gallon plastic bag mix oil, chicken stock, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and the zest and juice of each the lemon, lime and orange.
    • Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 – 6 hours. Do not marinate longer than 6 hours.
    • When ready to cook the chicken: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roast chicken on a sheet pan or casserole dish (discard marinade) with lemon slices for 40-45 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
    • Remove from oven and allow chicken to rest 5 to 10 minutes and serve.

    Notes

    Pro Tips
    Always zest the citrus fruit before juicing. It’s much easier this way. 
    To get more juice from citrus fruits: place in the microwave for 10 seconds before juicing!
    Do not marinate the chicken longer than 6 hours. The acids in the citrus fruits will begin to cook the meat.
    Easy tip for making marinade. Set the plastic bag in a large liquid measuring cup or mixing bowl. Fold the top out so the bag stays open while adding the ingredients.
    Do not reuse the marinade.
    Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking. This allows the juices to redistribute for the juiciest chicken.

    When are chicken thighs done?

    When they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Use an instant read thermometer and insert in the thickest part of the chicken.
    Do not touch the probe to the bone in the thigh or all the way through the thigh; it should be in the center of the meat.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 506mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Nancy says

      December 14, 2022 at 6:21 am

      This recipe made me love chicken thighs! . The only change that I made was no rosemary, still delicious

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        December 14, 2022 at 8:13 pm

        Well that’s exciting!! Can’t think of a better compliment!

        Reply
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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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