Juicy lemon garlic chicken thighs bake right in the same pan as tender-crisp asparagus in this easy sheet pan dinner recipe. Everything is coated in bright and garlicky lemon butter and so full of flavor. Ready in 30 minutes!
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Lemon & Garlic Baked Chicken Thighs with Asparagus
This recipe for savory lemon garlic chicken is a sheet pan riff on my baked lemon chicken. I’ve traded chicken breasts for thighs and roasted them in the same pan as tender-crisp asparagus for the ultimate all-in-one meal.
These garlicky lemon chicken thighs come together in a snap and taste SO delicious! They’re extra juicy, coated in a savory and zesty lemon butter sauce. I love the earthy flavors of asparagus in this recipe, but you can really customize it with any of your favorite veggies.
You are going to love this easy and healthy sheet pan meal. It’s quick, tasty, and perfect for busy weeknights. All you need is a side of fluffy low-carb cauliflower rice!
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs Recipe
Simple ingredients and an easy cooking method = my kind of meal. Aside from what’s already mentioned, here’s why you’ll love these one-pan chicken thighs with veggies:
- Super flavorful. Lemon and garlic go together like peanut butter and jelly, if you ask me. I can’t get enough of this crispy golden chicken smothered in a bright, garlicky butter sauce flavored with plenty of fresh lemon and herbs.
- All-in-one. Bake your chicken thighs and vegetables (in this case asparagus) all in the same pan. Protein? Check. Side? Check. Plus, there’s hardly any clean-up.
- Healthy and low-carb. This chicken thighs recipe is light and packed with protein, with the option to make it keto-friendly. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below, I give a quick overview of the key ingredients you’ll need to make this easy chicken and asparagus recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a full ingredient list and detailed instructions.
- Chicken Thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs cook quickly and come out super juicy. Skin-on chicken thighs will also work if you prefer.
- Asparagus: Our co-star for this sheet pan dinner! You’ll need about one pound of fresh asparagus, with the woody ends trimmed off. If you’d like to make this with another vegetable, be sure to choose veggies with similar cooking times. See the section later on for easy variations.
- Garlic and Seasonings: We’ll season our lemony garlic butter with freshly minced garlic cloves, paprika, and onion powder, with dried thyme, and basil.
- Lemon: Trust me, you want to use real, freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. Skip the bottled lemon juice for this one! One lemon should give you about 2-3 tablespoons of juice. You can use an additional lemon to slice up for a garnish.
- Sweetener: I use honey for its natural sweetness. If you’re making this recipe keto-friendly, skip the honey and opt for your choice of sweetener to taste.
How to Make Juicy Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
Have dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less with this easy-peasy baked chicken recipe:
- Prepare the chicken and veggies. While the oven preheats, arrange your chicken thighs and trimmed asparagus on a baking sheet pan. For even easier clean-up, remember to line the pan with parchment paper!
- Make the butter sauce. Next, whisk minced garlic, seasonings, lemon juice, and honey into melted butter to make the sauce. Use a pastry brush to brush the mixture liberally over the chicken and veggies.
- Bake. Place the whole pan into the oven at 425ºF for about 20 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked through and the asparagus spears are fork-tender, take them out and serve! I like to garnish mine with fresh lemon slices and chopped parsley.
Tips for Success
I’m sure you’re going to loooove how juicy and flavorful your chicken bakes up in the oven. Here are some final tips for perfect oven-baked chicken thighs, every time:
- Should I cover my chicken when baking? There’s no need to cover the chicken for this sheet pan recipe. Baking the chicken and asparagus uncovered lets it crisp up nice and golden on the outside.
- Exact baking times may vary and will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken thighs. Most boneless skinless chicken thighs are cooked after 20 minutes at 425ºF. The best way to tell if your chicken is done is to check it with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Let the chicken rest. Yes, your kitchen will smell amazing and it’s tempting to dig right in! However, for best results, rest your chicken thighs for 5-10 minutes before serving. Resting lets all the juices redistribute, for ultra-juicy and tender chicken.
Variation Ideas
There a plenty of ways that you can make these sheet pan lemon garlic chicken thighs your own. Try these other variation ideas:
- Different seasonings. Season your garlic butter with any combination of herbs and spices you’d like. Try rosemary, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, or a chicken seasoning blend.
- Different sauce. In place of lemon garlic butter, bake your chicken thighs with honey sriracha sauce or make honey mustard chicken.
- Chicken breasts. Instead of thighs, make this sheet pan dinner with baked chicken breasts if that’s what you have on hand.
- Parmesan. Grate over fresh parmesan cheese to make parmesan lemon chicken and asparagus.
- For an Instant Pot variation, try my Instant Pot lemon butter chicken thighs.
Can I Make This Recipe With Different Vegetables?
Absolutely! Feel free to customize this easy sheet pan recipe with any vegetable your heart desires. This can be instead of or in addition to asparagus. To make things easy, I like to roast vegetables with similar cooking times. Bell peppers, green beans, sweet potato, zucchini, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and carrots all share similar baking times.
If you’d like to cook slower-roasting vegetables (like potatoes or squash) alongside your chicken, that’s totally doable, too. Make sure to put them into the oven first. You can then add your chicken when there are 20-23 minutes left in the cooking time.
Can I Use Bone-In Chicken Thighs?
Yes. Bone-in chicken thighs take a bit more time in the oven. Aim to bake at 425ºF for 25-30 minutes instead. In this case, I recommend adding the asparagus to the pan only after the first 5-10 minutes, so that it doesn’t overcook.
Serving Suggestions
Not pictured: a ginormous side salad and warm crusty bread, my go-to sides for this chicken dinner. Not exactly low-carb, but there are loads of other options, too! Here are some more easy side dishes for chicken thighs, low-carb or otherwise:
- Grains. Pair chicken and asparagus with a side of jasmine rice or one-pot mushroom rice for a well-rounded meal.
- Potatoes. Crispy smashed potatoes or mashed potatoes (or make creamy mashed cauliflower).
- Salad. We love this sheet pan dinner paired with salads of all kinds. My top choices are this heirloom tomato salad and my Mediterranean Cobb salad.
- Stuffed Tomatoes. So easy to make, quinoa stuffed tomatoes are one of my favorite healthy side dishes!
- Flatbread. Serve lemon garlic chicken with a summery flatbread pizza topped with grilled corn.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Store your completely cooled chicken thighs and asparagus airtight in a container or resealable bag. Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days or keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken and asparagus in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat these chicken thighs and asparagus in a skillet on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the oven at 350ºF until hot throughout.
ENJOY!
More Chicken Dinner Ideas
- Juicy Stove Top Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Puttanesca
- French Onion Chicken
- Marry Me Chicken
- Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs with Rice
- Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice,
- 1 tablespoon honey, If on Keto or eating low carb, use a sweetener and adjust to taste
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- lemon slices, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F.
- Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
- Arrange chicken thighs and asparagus on the sheet pan and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Place butter in a mixing bowl and melt in the microwave.
- Pull melted butter out of the microwave and whisk in garlic, paprika, onion powder, thyme, basil, lemon juice, and honey or sweetener.
- Grab a pastry brush and brush the buttery mixture all over the chicken thighs and asparagus.
- Cook for 20 to 23 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and asparagus is tender.
- Garnish with parsley and lemon slices.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Great all in one dinner! Quick, easy and very flavorful. Popped in same foil wrapped corn on the cob which cooked for the same length of time. Perfect!
Can I use chicken thigh with bone and skin?
Yes, you can, but they will take longer to cook. I suggest to give the chicken a headstart in the oven and add the asparagus to the pan about 10 minutes later.
Excellent flavor….love sheet pan meals! My new “fast food”! Added a little more garlic (can never really have too much!) and thin slices of carrots. Like spring on a plate!
That’s great!! I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Love all the flavors in this dish! Perfect weeknight meal!
Looks like a fabulous dinner! Everything I love in one place, so excited to make this!
So easy and flavorful! I’ve gotta try this ASAP
This was so easy and yummy! I did substitute chicken breast and I also added tiny session potatoes that a microwaved for a few minutes before roasting.
Love how quick and easy this dinner is. So perfect for any weeknight!
This was so delicious! So much flavor especially from the chicken thighs.
Sounds insanely delicious! This is my kind of dinner, so tasty and packed of flavors and can’t wait to try this!
This was mouthwatering delicious!
My favorite all time dinne! I should make this tonight. It’s so easy!
I was so easy to make it! Everyone in my family loved this recipe! A must try!
I’ll have to give this recipe a shot. Especially since your chicken turned out so much nicer than mine ever does.
Everyone loved this for dinner and bonus that it was easy clean up too!
This was not only delicious but quick. I served it with garlic butter potatoes. I will definitely make this again.
Simple and delicious.