Lemon Chicken

Bone-in skin on packs of chicken thighs and legs were on sale this week: buy one get one free!!  What a great deal and I happened to have a recipe I had been wanting to try that called for bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.  Survey says?  It's a keeper!  I think sometimes with food allergies I put to much focus on the things that we can't eat and it's nice to come along a recipe that naturally conforms with our family's needs.  With my son having a mustard allergy, not only can he not have condiments and many sauces, but salad dressing and marinades will often having mustard in their "spices" too.  But this is all from scratch and it is delicious!  Amazingly I followed this recipe almost exactly!  (I have a tendency to make little changes as I go.  I did not have fresh herbs so I just used my dried herbs.  Can't wait to try it with fresh herbs though... when I finally start growing my own herb garden..) This is excellent served with Garlic Rice Pilaf.

Lemon Chicken

Recipe Source: Annie's Eats

2 tbsp. lemon zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (I used 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced (I used 1/4 tsp dried)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2-4 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
2-3 tbsp. melted butter (or you could probably use oil)
Thinly sliced lemons, for garnished

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag.  Seal the bag and shake well to blend.  Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more.  Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up, reserving the leftover marinade.  Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.  Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the skins are crispy and well-browned.  Halfway through baking, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the baking dish.  Once fully baked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.  Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices and serve.

**Sharing this recipe on Real Food, Allergy Free- Allergy Free Wednesday.
UPDATE: This recipe was spotlighted on Real Food, Allergy Free!