Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Thighs are impressive but so easy to make! These thighs come out with the perfect ratio of crispy outside, juicy inside every time and go great with a ton of side dishes. The lemon pepper flavor offers a citrusy burst with a hint of savory spice that is absolutely mouthwatering!
Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Thighs
There’s just something about the combo of lemon and pepper that is so satisfying. The citrus and spice together is way too good! We adore cooking with chicken thighs in this household. They’re just as easy as chicken breasts but they have a ton more flavor and are usually slightly cheaper overall. The tried and true oven roasted method allows them to be cooked perfectly since with chicken thighs you don’t have to worry about them drying out. I prefer to use skin on and bone in chicken thighs for the best flavor and texture overall. The bright lemon pepper flavor pairs beautifully with any kind of fresh veggie as a side, it also goes great with wild rice or a side of pasta with a cream based sauce!
Loving chicken thighs as much as I do? Check out these BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs or easy Honey Sesame Instant Pot Chicken Thighs for dinner this week!
Can I use chicken breasts for this recipe instead?
If you’re not quite on board with the bone in chicken thighs, that’s okay. You can use traditional chicken breasts along with the same steps. Just keep in mind the chicken breasts cook a little differently than the thighs. They won’t be crispy and you may have to adjust the time by a couple minutes. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t dry out!
How To Make Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Thighs
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Prep. Prep your chicken thighs by patting them dry to remove any excess moisture. This is what helps the skin crisp up in the oven. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Whisk. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Coat. Drizzle the olive oil mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken, rubbing to thoroughly coat.
- Stir. In another small bowl stir together the lemon pepper seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika.
- Season. Sprinkle that spice mix evenly over each chicken thigh to season.
- Bake. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees and be nice and golden on the outside.
- Serve. Serve with a lemon wedge and a side of creamy mashed potatoes and roasted veggies for a well balanced meal. Enjoy!
Storing Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Thighs
Leftover chicken thighs can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 days. To reheat and keep them crispy, I recommend popping them back in the oven or even air fryer until warmed through. Of course the microwave does work in a pinch!
Ingredients Notes for Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Thighs – I use about 3 pounds of chicken thighs. Bone in and skin on for the best outcome (the crispy skin is my favorite part)! If using chicken breasts, I usually opt for around 2 pounds.
- Olive Oil – This helps all that amazing seasoning stick to the chicken. Avocado oil also gets the job done.
- Lemon Juice – Yes you need both lemon pepper seasoning and lemon juice to really make this recipe shine! I recommend using fresh lemon juice (not bottled) for a brighter, more vibrant flavor.
- Seasoning Mix – Lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Adjust to your preferences, of course!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2.5 Pounds Chicken Thighs or Chicken Breasts
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place on the baking sheet.
- Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the olive oil mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken, rubbing to coat well.
- In another small bowl stir together the lemon pepper seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika.
- Sprinkle the spices evenly over the chicken.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent….. I made this for the first time.
I love this recipe! So easy and delicious. No long hours of marinading. I added a lot of lemon zest because it ignites the lemony flavor. It is now our go to lemon chicken recipe!
This was my first time cooking chicken thighs, I always use breasts, but they were requested and I was surprised at how long it takes to de-fat them before cooking – almost an hour! But totally worth it – yum yum yum! Wondering if I need to modify for air fryer, if anyone knows?
This was such an easy, yummy recipe. The chicken was juicy on the inside and crispy and tangy on the outside. My friend I made this for woke up talking about it!
Delic! Used leg 10 leg quarters. Doubled the season’s plus about 1/4 extra. Cooked about 15 to 20 minutes longer. Came out spectacular! Kids are already requesting as a regular dinner. Thank you?
When used leg quarters where they skin or no skin on them?
i love this recipe! real tasty and definitely puts a smile on my family’s faces 🙂
I used 4lbs of boneless chicken breasts and doubled the seasoning recipe. My husband, 3 kids and bonus child (ages 7 to 18) immediately went back for seconds and cleared me out. I used smoked paprika because I didn’t have regular paprika. That was the only change. I served this with a lemon butter sauce over basmati rice and veggies. I’m making it again only 2 days later – thanks for this easy, yet tasty recipe!
How long did you bake it for?
I used 4lbs of boneless chicken breasts and doubled the seasoning recipe. My husband, 3 kids and bonus child (ages 7 to 18) immediately went back for seconds and cleared me out. I used smoked paprika because I didn’t have regular paprika. That was the only change. I served this with a lemon butter sauce over basmati rice and veggies. I making it again only 2 days later – thanks for this easy, yet tasty recipe!
Tried this a little while ago, and it was excellent. A little too salty for me, but that’s easily fixed.
But that’s not what I’m writing about. I just got back from a fishing vacation with some blackfin tuna meat. We weren’t sure how to cook it, so I said let’s use the seasoning from this recipe. The only changes were that we pan seared the meat, and swapped black pepper for the salt. It was unbelievable. It was literally perfect as a blackening seasoning for tuna, and the lemon juice/olive oil really worked well with the flavor of the fish.
This chicken is very very good! Crispy outside with very juicy tender meat inside. Thinking the higher temp of 400 is what does the trick for the crisp/juicy part. This mix of seasonings for lemon pepper chicken is fantastic and the best I have ever tried! Kudos to Nichole for this recipe!