Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
Tender sticky lemony and peppery chicken thighs with a coconut aminos, lemon, garlic and honey marinade to make all your protein meal prep dreams a reality. These chicken thighs are the perfect weeknight dinner.
I know what you’re thinking. Chicken thighs? Won’t the higher fat content of dark meat ruin my macros? For these delicious, we’re using skinless thighs, which drastically reduces the amount of fat. With 24 grams of protein and 13 grams of healthy fats, this quick dinner is one you can feel good about putting on your dinner table.
I prep these in the morning so they’re ready to go when it’s dinner time, I’ve even included 3 easy ways to make these chicken thighs: bake, grill or air fry so no one is left out. No matter which cooking method you choose, this is an easy chicken meal the whole family will love.
Pair these with Creamy Broccoli Crunch Salad, quinoa kale and apple salad or air fryer trice baked potatoes. For more flavorful chicken dishes, try cream of mushroom chicken skillet or bbq teriyaki chicken.
Featured Comment ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Quite literally could have eaten the entire batch in one sitting.” – Christina
Why you’ll love this recipe
- High protein, gluten and dairy-free.
- Full of flavor and multiple cooking methods.
Ingredients and Substitutes:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs.
- Chicken Thighs: you can also use this same recipe for chicken breasts or turkey tenderloin. Skin on thighs are delicious as well.
- Lemon: fresh lemon juice is best but storebought works as well.
- Garlic: freshly chopped for full flavor but frozen minced works too.
- Honey: you can substitute with maple syrup.
- Pepper: freshly cracked pepper is best! I love the rich flavor of the lemon pepper seasoning so I go a little crazy with the cracked pepper. Or alternatively you can just use lemon pepper seasoning!
- Coconut Aminos: soy sauce is a great substitute and results in a saltier flavor.
Variations
- Omit the honey, use less or swap it out for maple syrup. The honey adds a nice sweetness and stickiness to the marinade, which is why I love it.
- Optional heat – use Mike’s hot honey in place of regular honey for a fun spicey twist on this recipe.
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free as written.
How to make these chicken thighs (a step-by-step guide):
Step 1: prep and marinate chicken
In a large bowl, combine the minced garlic, honey, coconut aminos, lemon zest, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, parlsey and oil. Whisk together until thoroughly combined (image 1).
Add the chicken thighs to the bowl (image 2) or ziplock resealable bag, ensuring each piece is coated well with the marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes. For best results, marinate for 2 to 4 hours in the refrigerator or overnight. Halfway through give the chicken a good shake or flip to be sure all sides marinate.
Step 2: grill
Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place directly on the hot grill (image 3). Add a spoonful of the chunks from the marinade on top of the chicken prior to discarding the remaining marinade.
Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (image 4).
Expert Tip!
Always use a meat thermometer if you’re unsure about the internal temp of chicken, avoiding chopping each one to check. It should always be at least 165 degrees F.
Recipe FAQs
Preheat the air fryer to 375. Remove chicken from the marinade and place in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they do not overlap. You may need to work in batches. Top each thigh with a spoonful of the marinade and cook for approximately 10-15 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking time will vary based on your air fryer and size of chicken thighs.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking dish or sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet and arrange the chicken thighs on the rack. This will allow for better air circulation and even cooking (image below). I like using my cooking cooling rack and placing directly on top of the pan. Pour a spoonful of marinade on top of each thigh and discard the rest. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the exterior is nicely browned. If desired, broil for the last 2-3 minutes for extra crispiness.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the air fryer or oven or toss over a salad, add to wraps or make into sandwiches.
Reheat in the air fryer, oven or microwave or toss over a salad, add to wraps or make into sandwiches.
Check out our other easy chicken recipes!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. honey 63g
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- zest of one lemon
- juice of one large lemon approx 3-4 Tbsp.
- 1/2 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley additional for garnish
- fresh cracked pepper on top
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the minced garlic, honey, coconut aminos, lemon zest, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, parsley and oil. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl or ziplock resealable bag, ensuring each piece is coated well with the marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes. For best results, marinate for 2 to 4 hours in the refrigerator or overnight. Halfway through give the chicken a good shake or flip to be sure all sides marinate.
- Grill directions: Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place directly on the hot grill. Add a spoonful of the chunks from the marinade on top of the chicken prior to discarding excess the remaining marinade. Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Oven directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet and arrange the chicken thighs on the rack. This will allow for better air circulation and even cooking. I like using my cooking cooling rack and placing directly on top of the pan. Pour a spoonful of marinade on top of each thigh and discard the rest. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the exterior is nicely browned. If desired, broil for the last 2-3 minutes for extra crispiness.
- Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 375. Remove chicken from the marinade and place directly in the air fryer basket, ensuring they do not overlap, you may need to work in batches. Top each thigh with a spoonful of the marinade and cook for approximately 10-15 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once cooked, let the chicken thighs rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and extra fresh cracked pepper if desired. Serve with a lemon wedge to squeeze on top if desired.
Notes
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
- Discarded marinade has been taken into consideration in the nutrition facts.
- Marinate overnight for best flavor.
- You can use this recipe for chicken breasts, chicken tenderloins or chicken wings.
We just made this for the second time this week and my husband said to me ‘I could eat nothing but this marinated chicken and rice for the next 3 months and be happy’. Needless to say it’s a keeper!
This just made my day!!!
Quite literally could have eaten the entire batch in one sitting
Yessss, I completely agree haha. Thank you!!
So easy and incredibly flavorful! Thank you for a new addition to our dinner rotation!
Hi there! Currently have some chicken breasts marinating and am excited to try this out. Any idea the macros for chicken breasts over thighs? Thank you!
This is a keeper!!! So easy and so much flavour!! Thank you
Yay!! So happy you loved it!