Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Tomato Cucumber Salad

Cool as a cucumber, warm as a roasted chicken: What more do you need for a satisfyingly delicious dinner, than these flavor popping Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Tomato Cucumber Salad!

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Oven roasted chicken has always been one of my favorites, and when you add just enough lemon and garlic in there? Simple perfection. Today’s recipe for Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Tomato Cucumber Salad combines warm comfort food with a cool refreshing salad, while the garlic and lemon flavors throughout help tie everything together.

Affordable bone-in thighs tend to stay juicier in the oven, and these come out perfectly infused with lemony, garlicky flavor throughout. Then, the contrasting crunch and coolness of the tomato cucumber salad really makes the flavor of that chicken pop. Mix things up next time you want oven baked chicken, by substituting this easy & refreshing side for the more usual roasted veggies.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Tomato Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

– for the chicken

3 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a medium lemon
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 6 small cloves)
2 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
Black pepper, to taste
5 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

– for the tomato cucumber salad

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
10 oz container grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
3 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a medium lemon
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp minced garlic (about 1 small clove)
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Directions

To make the chicken:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and spray it with cooking spray.

Trim the chicken and place it in a large bowl. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and spices in a small bowl.

Pour the lemon-garlic marinade over the chicken and toss to coat.

Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, skin side up, then scoop any remaining marinade in the bowl onto the chicken.

Roast the lemon garlic chicken thighs for 30 minutes at 425 degrees, or until cooked through to 165 degrees. Remove from the oven, and baste with pan juices.

To make the salad:

While the chicken is roasting, throw together your tomato cucumber salad and let it chill in the refrigerator until the chicken is done.

Peel the cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the watery seeds with a spoon. Then, chop the cucumber into bite-sized pieces and halve each grape tomato lengthwise. Place the chopped cucumber and tomato in a large bowl.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and spices in a small bowl.

Pour the lemon-y dressing over the tomatoes and cucumber, and toss to coat. Refrigerate until the chicken is ready.

Once the chicken is done, serve your tomato cucumber salad alongside the roasted garlic lemon chicken thighs.

Note: Cooking time on the thighs can vary depending on size. If you have smaller pieces, start checking them for doneness at 25 minutes; larger ones may take longer than 30.

Lemony Delicious

These lemony chicken thighs made for a quite satisfying dinner, and I’m already looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today. Given the way meat prices have been rising, it’s a great time to look at cooking with more affordable cuts of meat: Here, I just used a family pack of chicken thighs from ALDI.

Lemon garlic chicken with tomato cucumber salad is naturally gluten free and low in carbs. And, if you’re looking for more recipes that pair warm chicken with a cooler tomato-based side, try:

• Chicken with chunky mango-tomato salsa
• Skillet chicken tenders with artichoke avocado salsa

Any of these recipes would also be great on the grill this summer, too.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Tomato Cucumber Salad, printable recipe

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Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Tomato Cucumber Salad

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Cool as a cucumber, warm as a roasted chicken: What more do you need for a satisfyingly delicious dinner, than these flavor popping Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Tomato Cucumber Salad!

Course dinner

Cuisine Chicken

Keyword chicken, chicken thighs, cucumber, lemon garlic chicken, tomatoes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rachel Singer

Equipment

1 rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

– for the chicken

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Juice of half a medium lemon
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic about 6 small cloves
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp rosemary
• Black pepper to taste
• 5 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

– for the tomato cucumber salad

• 1 large cucumber peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 10 oz container grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Juice of half a medium lemon
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic about 1 small clove
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the chicken:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and spray it with cooking spray.
• Trim the chicken and place it in a large bowl. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and spices in a small bowl.
• Pour the lemon-garlic marinade over the chicken and toss to coat.
• Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, skin side up, then scoop any remaining marinade in the bowl onto the chicken.
• Roast the lemon garlic chicken thighs for 30 minutes at 425 degrees, or until cooked through to 165 degrees. Remove from the oven, and baste with pan juices.

To make the salad:

• While the chicken is roasting, throw together your tomato cucumber salad and let it chill in the refrigerator until the chicken is done.
• Peel the cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the watery seeds with a spoon. Then, chop the cucumber into bite-sized pieces and halve each grape tomato lengthwise. Place the chopped cucumber and tomato in a large bowl.
• Combine olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and spices in a small bowl.
• Pour the lemon-y dressing over the tomatoes and cucumber, and toss to coat. Refrigerate until the chicken is ready.
• Once the chicken is done, serve your tomato cucumber salad alongside the roasted garlic lemon chicken thighs.

Notes

Cooking time on the thighs can vary depending on size. If you have smaller pieces, start checking them for doneness at 25 minutes; larger ones may take longer than 30.

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