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4.7 from 84 votes

Braised Chicken Thighs with Lemon, Garlic and Olives

A simple but delicious recipe for perfect crisp-skinned chicken, cooked with briny olives, lemons that turn sweet and jammy, and of course, garlic. It's one of our all-time favorites.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 2 -4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • 4-6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (or breasts)
  • kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 garlic cloves peeled but whole
  • 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 1/2 cup olives pitted (mixed Greek, Kalamata, or Cerignola)
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
  • 1 lemon juiced

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180ºC
  2. Dry the chicken well and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  3. Set a large, oven-proof skillet on medium-high heat (the pan should be large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer). Add the oil and place the chicken, skin-side down, and leave it alone until the skin is deep golden brown, 7-9 minutes. Flip the chicken and scatter the garlic cloves into the pan. Cook until garlic is brown is spots and beginning to soften (don’t let garlic burn), 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken and garlic from the pan and set aside.
  4. To the same pan, add the onions, lemon slices and thyme, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have softened and turned golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and lemon juice. Add back the thighs (skin-side up, including any accumulated juices) and scatter in the garlic and the olives. Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 25-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (165º F / 75º C on an instant read thermometer).

Notes

  • UPDATE:This recipe has been updated. We've lessened the amount of chicken stock by a 1/2 cup because a few of you felt the dish had just a bit too much liquid. Thank you for your feedback!