Golden brown chicken skin and bright citrus flavors mingle with the earthy goodness of fresh rosemary in these Rosemary Citrus Chicken Thighs. Serve them alongside roasted potatoes that are cooked right in the same skillet! This simple meal is decadent enough to be used for special occasions like dinner parties while also being easy enough to make it a staple for weeknight meals.
What you’ll need to make rosemary citrus chicken thighs
A meal this simple thrives on quality cuts of meat and fresh produce. If you can, visit the butcher counter at your local grocery store and farmers’ markets in your area for the freshest ingredients.
- Olive Oil
- White Wine Vinegar
- Orange Marmalade
- Garlic Cloves
- Rosemary: Remove the leaves from the woody stem and set them aside.
- Lemons: We’ll need lemon zest, lemon juice, and all the rest of a lemon for this recipe!
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Chicken Thighs: Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, to be exact.
- Baby Yellow Potatoes: Halved if on the larger side.
- Sweet Potato: Chopped into bite-sized chunks.
- Butter
- Mushrooms: Halved.
Protip: Customize the sauce!
For a thicker, sweeter sauce, you can double or triple the orange marmalade in the marinade.
How to make roasted rosemary chicken thighs
Ten minutes of prep, a few hours of marinating, and just 35 minutes of cook time? Sign us up.
- Using a food processor or blender, combine olive oil, vinegar, marmalade, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until coarse purée forms.
- Place the chicken in a large bowl or a large resealable plastic bag, and then pour the marinade over the chicken. Let it marinate overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.
- Once you’re ready to start cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F. While the oven preheats, place potatoes, sweet potatoes, and enough water to cover them entirely in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. We want the potatoes to be just barely tender so they don’t fall apart in the oven.
- Heat the butter in a large oven-proof roasting pan, Dutch oven, or skillet over medium-high heat as the potatoes cook. Once preheated, place the chicken, skin-side-down, in the pan and cover with the remaining marinade.
- Sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side. This will help give the chicken a beautiful color.
- Turn off the heat, remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside. In the pan, toss the parboiled potatoes and halved mushrooms in the sauce until well coated.
- Nestle the chicken thighs into the vegetables and squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the chicken. Place the halved lemons in the baking dish as well.
- Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to 165°F and golden brown.
Protip: Let it rest!
Let the chicken rest for up to 10 minutes before serving so that the juices can settle—this will make the chicken taste tender and succulent instead of dry!
How do I know when chicken thighs are done?
Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure your chicken is thoroughly cooked. You’ll know it’s ready to take out of the oven when the thickest part of the thigh registers as 165°F—just make sure the thermometer isn’t making contact with the bone, or the reading will be inaccurate.
Why are my rosemary chicken thighs dry?
Chicken can become tough or mealy when overcooked. You’ll want to remove the pan from the oven once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
What other vegetables can I use?
The more veggies, the better! If you’re not a potato fan or are looking for more variety, other hearty vegetables like carrots or parsnips are great options.
What if I forgot to marinate overnight?
We’ve all been there! You go to make a recipe, only to realize you were supposed to marinate it! While it’s ideal to let this citrus chicken marinade rest overnight, or at least four hours, you can do a quick marinade of just 30 minutes. A little is better than nothing!
Want more easy chicken recipes like this one?
Citrus Rosemary Chicken with Vegetables
This dish is great for a lazy fall day. Once the chicken marinates, in under an hour you'll have a Sunday dinner that will do any perfect fall day proud.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon orange marmalade
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed from stem
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
- 1 pound baby yellow potatoes (halved if large)
- 1 large sweet potato, chopped into bite-sized chunks
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 ounces mushrooms, halved
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, puree olive oil, vinegar, marmalade, garlic, rosemary, the zest and juice from one lemon, salt, and pepper until well mixed.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs. Refrigerate and let marinate for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 400°F.
- Add potatoes and sweet potatoes to a saucepan and cover in water. Bring to a boil and cook until just barely tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large oven-proof roasting pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken, skin-side-down, in the pan and pour the marinade over the top.
- Sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes, then flip the chicken and sear 4-5 minutes on the other side.
- Remove pan from heat, remove chicken from pan, and set aside.
- In the pan, toss the potatoes and mushrooms in the sauce until well coated. Add the chicken back into the pan, nestling the chicken thighs into the vegetables.
- Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon over the entire pan and then place the lemon halves in the pan.
- Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through to 165°F and golden brown.
Notes
- For a thicker, sweeter sauce, use 2-3 tbsp orange marmalade in the marinade.
- Feel free to use regular yellow potatoes instead of baby potatoes, just make sure to cut them in bite-sized chunks.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 614Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 547mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 7gSugar: 10gProtein: 36g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
