Lemon chicken thighs with garlic and herbs

Like most of my food, I had a craving for various ingredients, and thought, hmm let me try combine these together and see what happens. Turns out its now one of my favorite ways to eat chicken, and my mother, who strongly dislikes chicken in any form, said it's now become her favorite chicken dish. Hey, I'll take any win I can get!

This recipe requires 24 hours of marination, so definitely prepare before hand. You can also cook it two ways and honestly I like it cooked in either of those ways. If you like a little crisp to your chicken, then the airfryer is the way to go. If you like it a bit more wet and saucy, definitely stick to the fry pan. I'll give you the method to cook both ways.

Prep time: 24 hours

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, skin on, excess fat trimmed

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Mix all ingredients except the salt and lemon juice into a bowl with the chicken thighs, massaging the marinade into all the crevices of the chicken to ensure total immersion. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place in the fridge overnight.

2. Once the chicken is ready to cook, season well with salt.

3. Fry pan cooking: Heat a non-stick frypan on medium-high heat, and once hot, place chicken thighs skin side down. There's no need to add more oil to the pan as the marinade is predominantly oil anyway, and the skin will have enough fat content. Let it grill until the skin is nicely browned and crisp. Turn the chicken over, turn the heat down, and let the chicken cook until well done, roughly 20 minutes, depending on the size of the thigh. 5 minutes before the cooking is finished, squeeze in the lemon juice and let it reduce to create a tangy sauce.

4. Air fryer cooking: Add the lemon juice to the chicken mix and give it a good stir before removing and placing in your air fryer, skin side down. Salt your chicken here. Set your device to 180 degrees Celsius for 12 minutes. Once cooked, rotate, and cook for 4-5 mins, skin side up, so it gets crisp. Remember to also season the top side. Once done, your chicken should be well cooked through, crisp on top, and juicy in the center.

5. Serve chicken with roasted potatoes, salad, sautéed spinach or whatever sides you prefer.

Notes

• You can use any piece of chicken. I like thigh for this as it retains a lot of flavor and moisture. If you choose a leaner cut, reduce the cooking time down so the chicken doesn't dry out.

• If you like a bit more heat, add chili flakes at the same time you season your chicken with salt.

• You can still get a saucy finish if you choose to cook in the air fryer. The oils and chicken fat captured at the bottom of your air fryer can be drizzled on top of your chicken.

• If you make extra, slice it up the next day. It's perfect to add to salads, pastas or sandwiches.