Insanely delicious 5 ingredient, gluten free and super juicy caramelized onion thyme lemon chicken legs which takes 30 minutes and only one pan.
That name's a mouthful right? But it's so important to say all of those things out loud - Caramelized Onions Thyme Lemon Chicken Legs because all those flavours right there are what make a fantastic meal! And that's the only time consuming thing about this recipe. The rest is just dump and wait for it all to cook. Which makes this one a star right?
You know I've literally been holding out on you guys. I've had this recipe for two weeks now, but if you've noticed, I've been away for some time. Having the best time at my brother-in-law's wedding and though I got back on the weekend, I still haven't got into work mode. And every day I think to myself - I'm going to write a post today, and then I procrastinate and find other useless things to do.
Does that happen to any of you? When you know you absolutely should be doing something but you just can't no matter how hard you try? Or am I the only one stuck in this rut. Nevermind, I'm glad I at least got started!
This caramelized onion thyme lemon chicken legs is so simple that you'll be making it over and over again. And it's healthy in a clean eating sort of way. Because there are literally no processed ingredients involved. It's just some garlic, chili powder or paprika, thyme, lemon and lots and lots of onions with those chicken legs. It's sort of inspired by the caramelized onion and rosemary chicken that I posted a while ago which you guys seem to love so much. And I can imagine why! Both these recipes follow the exact same process, but are miles apart in flavor.
And just look at that chicken. Juicy with a beautiful caramelization from the onions and full of flavor. Lemon and thyme is one of my favorite combinations and they are the absolute stars in this recipe.
Now everyone thinks that caramelized onions take time and you need to be at it for hours. But you dump onions in a pan with some oil and prop some chicken on top. Bam! You have caramelized onions as your chicken cooks and you don't even need to stir them once! I've only ever tried this with chicken. And IMO this happens because the onions cook in the juices of the chicken, and because the chicken is sitting on top of them, they become stickier and sort of melt. I can literally go on and on about this but you have got to try this caramelized onion thyme lemon chicken legs out!
If you love chicken dinners, don't forget to follow my Chicken Recipes board on Pinterest for a daily dose of inspiration!
More Chicken Dinners You Must Try:
- Spinach Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Honey Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Veggies
- Caramelized Onion Rosemary Chicken Thighs
- Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken with Pasta
- Creamy Bacon Rosemary Mushroom Chicken Thighs
Caramelized Onion Thyme Lemon Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Butter
- 2 Chicken Legs whole
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder or Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 3 Onions sliced
- 3 - 4 Thyme sprigs
- 1 Lemon sliced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together chili powder or paprika, minced garlic, honey and salt. Rub this all over the chicken legs and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil and butter in a pan and place the chicken legs. Brown on high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Add onions to the pan and stir once. Instead of onions placed on top of the chicken, pick up each leg and place it on top of the onions. Top with thyme sprigs and lemon slices.
- Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes turning once midway through the cooking process. Switch off the flame and let the chicken rest in the pan for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Richa Gupta says
Thanks Dixya, we love it for exactly the same reasons!
Richa Gupta says
Thanks Edlyn! It's been a while! How are you?
dixya @ food, pleasure, and health says
i am always looking for new ways to cook chicken..and this sounds just fantastic esp since it is such a low maintenance dish!
edlyngd says
Looks amazing, Richa!