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Lemon Paprika Chicken Thighs

by Katerina

4.91 from 11 votes

May 10, 2015, Updated Aug 16, 2023

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This Lemon Paprika Chicken Thighs recipe is so quick and easy to make! Chicken thighs marinated in a lemon and paprika mixture with garlic and thyme. A perfect weeknight dinner idea!

Easy Lemon Paprika Chicken Recipe

Simple is the name of the game today with Lemon Paprika Chicken. All you need to make this easy chicken dinner is some chicken thighs, lemon zest/juice, olive oil, white wine, and a few different spices. But, while the ingredients are very straightforward, the flavors are bold and delicious!

This paprika chicken recipe is spicy, a little bit sweet, and just the right amount of tangy. To make it, you just rub the spices into the chicken, let the chicken rest for a couple of hours, and then cook it in a skillet. The result is tender, juicy chicken thighs that you’ll want to eat right out of the pan!

Lemon paprika chicken is great for a weeknight dinner, but it will wow your guests too, if you decide to make it for a dinner party! You can also serve it with anything – rice, roasted potatoes, vegetables, a salad, you name it. Whatever feels right!

Looking for more easy chicken thigh recipes that the whole family will love? Try Juicy Stove Top Chicken Thighs, Chicken Paprikash, or these Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs!

Why You’ll Love These Paprika Chicken Thighs

I’m obsessed with these spicy chicken thighs, and they’ll definitely be frequent visitors on my meal plan. Here’s why I think you’ll love them too:

• Super bold flavor. The sweet, satisfying bite of that tender, tangy, spicy, and garlicky chicken thigh is going to send you over the moon!
• Perfect texture. These chicken thighs are so juicy on the inside, with a bit of crispiness to the seasoned skin.
• Straightforward ingredients. As mentioned above, the ingredients for this chicken dinner are quite simple. In fact, most of them are probably already in your kitchen somewhere!

What You’ll Need

Only a few simple ingredients are required to make this paprika chicken recipe! The exact amounts for each one can be found in the recipe card below.

• Chicken Thighs: I like to use bone-in chicken thighs, but you could use chicken breasts instead if you want.
• Olive Oil: You could also use canola oil.
• Seasoning: This recipe mixes salt, fresh ground pepper, paprika, dried thyme, and chopped fresh parsley.
• Lemon: You’ll need both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Garlic: Freshly-minced garlic works best, but store-bought minced garlic is fine, too.
• White Wine: Use something like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.

How to Make Lemon Paprika Chicken

Here is the step-by-step guide to making these spicy, tangy chicken thighs. If you’re looking for the full set of directions, check out the recipe card below.

• Season the chicken thighs. Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board or on a large plate. Then, pour some of the olive oil over them. Rub a mixture of salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice, and some garlic into the chicken thighs.
• Let the chicken rest. Place the seasoned chicken in a large bowl or ziplock bag and refrigerate it for about 2 hours.
• Brown the chicken. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Next, add the chicken and, cooking over medium heat, brown it on both sides (about 6 minutes per side). Remove your chicken from the skillet once it has finished browning and set it aside.
• Cook the garlic. Add the remaining minced garlic to the skillet and cook it, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Then, carefully add the wine to the skillet and stir in the parsley.
• Cook the chicken. Transfer your chicken back to the skillet and bring it to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to cook it over medium-low heat for 20 to 22 minutes, or until done, turning the chicken over halfway through.
• Serve. Remove the chicken thighs from the heat, transfer them to a serving dish, and finally, spoon the sauce over them. Enjoy!

Tips for Success

There you have it! Perfect chicken thighs cooked in just half an hour. Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind as you make them yourself:

• Let the seasoning set into the chicken. I recommend letting the seasoned chicken rest in the fridge for the full two hours. This way, the lemon juice will tenderize the meat and the flavors will set in. If you don’t have that much time, though, 20 minutes is good.
• Watch the chicken as it cooks. Add 1/4-cup more of the white wine if it looks too dry when you go to turn it over.
• Make sure the chicken is cooked through. The best way to know whether the chicken is done is to use a digital read thermometer. If the internal temperature reaches 165F, the chicken is ready to eat.

What Goes With Paprika Chicken?

Paprika chicken thighs can be paired with almost any side dish! Here are a few of my favorite combinations:

• Rice or pasta. Keep it simple with a bed of steamed white rice, or add some Garlic Butter Pasta on the side.
• Roasted potatoes. Oven-Roasted Potatoes and Carrots are just the thing to complete this healthy meal.
• Salad. For a quick, light side dish, make something like this Tomato and Cucumber Salad – or just your everyday salad!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Any leftover paprika chicken that you end up with is easily stored. Here’s how to properly preserve it:

• To store. Keep the chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• To reheat. When you want to reheat the chicken, simply put it in the microwave or heat it in the oven at about 350F until warmed through.

Can I Freeze This Chicken?

Sure! Once the chicken has cooled, place it in an airtight container and freeze it for 2-3 months. Before you reheat it, make sure to thaw it overnight in the fridge.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

Ready to try out some more easy chicken dinners? These are some of my favorites!

• Easy Baked Chicken Breasts
• Moroccan Chicken Tangine
• French Onion Chicken
• Oven Fried Chicken Breasts
• Smothered Chicken and Gravy

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4.91 from 11 votes

Lemon Paprika Chicken

by Katerina | Diethood

Lemon paprika chicken thighs are marinated in a tangy lemon and spicy paprika mixture with garlic and thyme. They're the perfect weeknight dinner idea!

Prep Time: 2 hours hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4-6 bone-in chicken thighs
• ▢ 6 tablespoons olive oil, , divided
• ▢ salt and fresh ground pepper, , to taste
• ▢ 2 teaspoons paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ juice of 1 lemon
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves, , minced, divided
• ▢ 1 cup white wine, (use a wine that you like)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions 

• Place chicken on a cutting board or a large plate.
• Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil over chicken thighs. (not 3 tablespoons over each piece, but over all 6 pieces)
• Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice and 2 minced garlic cloves; rub the mixture evenly over the chicken thighs. You can also combine seasonings in a bowl, mix well, and rub it over the chicken thighs.
• Place in a large bowl or ziploc bag and refrigerate for about 2 hours. IF you don’t have that much time, 20 minutes is good, too. But it does taste better after a couple of hours.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick skillet.
• Add chicken and, cooking over medium heat, brown the chicken on both sides; about 6 minutes per side.
• Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
• Add remaining minced garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for one minute. Do not burn the garlic.
• Carefully add wine to the skillet.
• Stir in parsley.
• Transfer chicken back to skillet and bring to a boil.
• Cover with a lid and continue to cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 22 minutes, or until done, turning the chicken over half way through cooking.
• Add 1/4-cup more wine if it looks too dry when you go to turn over the chicken.
• Remove from heat.
• Transfer chicken to serving dish and spoon sauce over the chicken.
• Serve.

Notes

• To store. Keep the chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• To reheat. When you want to reheat the chicken, simply put it in the microwave or heat it in the oven at about 350F until warmed through.
• To freeze. Once the chicken has cooled, place it in an airtight container and freeze it for 2-3 months. Before you reheat it, make sure to thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.7mg

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.

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