Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken and Asparagus

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I am always on the hunt for simple, healthy weeknight dinners. The perfect ones require little to no preparation prior to the moment I arrive home, use ingredients I regularly have on hand, and don’t require major mental energy to work through. If I am shooting for the stars, they are something the entire family will enjoy, at least in part. They usually involve chicken.

photo by jenn kosar

“One pan” recipes catch the eye, for obvious reasons. Anything involving chicken has a fighting chance of winning kid approval. If I see lemon in the title, I’m sold. Chelsea’s Messy Apron, one of my favorite food blogs, featured this One Pan Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Asparagus recipe that hit all the marks. It did not disappoint: easy prep, simple cleanup, happy family dinner.

http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/one-pan-lemon-parmesan-chicken-and-asparagus-video/

I was inspired to create my own take on this deliciously simple option. I don’t often create my own recipes, but after a series of lemon chicken experiments, it was time to give it a whirl. I had a few additional requirements in mind for my own perfect weeknight chicken and asparagus recipe.

First, I wanted something healthy, with no added sugar and limited carbohydrates. While I loved the single pan, I needed to make it easier to separate the chicken for the kids [a deconstructed dinner as discussed in my post on Dinner: A Love Story]. A recipe that yielded next overs would be perfect. Ideally, I would build the recipe from my family’s favorite foolproof cut, chicken thighs with both bone and skin. Finally, my junior foodies requested the crispest skin I could muster. Challenge accepted.

photo by jenn kosar

I learned a lot about recipe creation along the way. First, I was reminded that what is simplest and fastest may not always yield the best possible result. Not willing to give up the mission of easy weeknight cooking, I found that a few minor adjustments were enough to make a significant difference in the outcome.

For example, in this recipe, I had to give up the idea of a single pan; the two main ingredients just needed very different treatment to be at their best. Instead, I focused on aligning the oven temperatures of each component to keep it convenient for weeknight cooking. I also used common flavors and ingredients across both to reduce prep time, even if they parted ways in the oven.

photo by jenn kosar

With a little homework, and a lot of trial and error, I learned the secrets to crispy skin on chicken thighs. A combination of scoring the chicken in advance, beginning the cooking process “upside down”, and cooking first from a distance and then directly under the broiler yielded flavorful and perfectly cooked results. [America’s Test Kitchen never fails to educate.]  This did result in a little more “hands-on” time in the recipe, but no major change in the overall time commitment.

I know I pledged to keep it simple, but the last trick I discovered is just too good not to share. If you plan ahead, the best-kept secret to crispy chicken is ensuring the skin is really, really dry with extended air-drying time. The night before or morning of the day you are making this dish, pat the chicken thighs dry and lay them, skin side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours, or overnight. They need to be brought back to room temperature before they hit the oven, so plan to take them out of the fridge about 45 minutes before cooking.

photo by jenn kosar

Finally, I find it’s important to use the thicker asparagus when roasting, as the thinner varieties, though lovely blanched or raw, will overcook with this technique. If you find yourself with thin asparagus, adjust the cooking time. You can easily prep asparagus by “snapping” the bottom end off with your hands. The asparagus will tell you where the freshest part begins, so just do it by feel.

photo by jenn kosar

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Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken and Asparagus

Serves 4-6
cooking time 45 minutes
total time 60 minutes start to table

ingredients

8-10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3-4lbs)
1 bunch medium asparagus, ends trimmed (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
3-4 lemons yielding 1-2 teaspoons lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 8-10 slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
fresh ground black pepper
kosher salt
fresh thyme, about 1 teaspoon of leaves and about 8-10 whole sprigs
Maldon or other flaky finishing salt [optional]

photo by jenn kosar

preparation

Preheat oven to 500F. Adjust one oven rack to the lowest position and the other to the upper-middle position, about fice inches from the heating element.

Spray two large sheet pans lightly with non-stick cooking spray with high smoke point (such as avocado oil or canola oil). Place one in the oven to begin preheating, and set the other aside.

chicken

Prepare the chicken for roasting. Using a sharp knife or metal skewer, poke 10-12 holes in the skin side of each chicken piece. Place the thighs skin side down and sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese. Flip them over and repeat with same quantity of salt, pepper, and cheese.

Place thighs skin side down on preheated baking sheet and place lemon slices over the chicken. Return the baking sheet to the oven on the bottom rack.

photo by jenn kosar

Roast chicken until the under side is beginning to brown, about 15 to 18 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Using tongs, flip the chicken so it rests on the lemon slice and the skin side is now facing up.

Continue to broil on the bottom half of the oven until the skin is beginning to crisp and the meat registers 165 degrees at the thickest point, about 12 to 15 more minutes. [Note: oven times vary dramatically. Fortunately, it is very hard to overcook chicken thighs. This is why I love them.]

While the chicken is roasting, combine the minced garlic with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt to form a smooth paste. [this video from The Kitchn perfectly illustrates the technique.] Combine the paste, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, and butter in a small bowl and stir to combine. Measure about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a separate bowl and set it aside for the asparagus.

photo by jenn kosar

Remove the chicken from oven and heat the broiler. While the broiler heats, brush the chicken with half of the lemon-thyme mixture. Broil the chicken on the upper rack until the skin is crisp and well-browned and the meat registers 175 degrees, about 3-5 minutes, rotating pan as needed for even browning. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let it rest while the asparagus cooks. Drizzle the remaining lemon-thyme mixture over the chicken.

asparagus

While the chicken is roasting, toss the asparagus with the lemon-thyme mixture set aside. You can do this right in the sheet pan. Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Add the fresh thyme sprigs, scattered throughout the pan.

photo by jenn kosar

After the chicken comes out of the oven, return the oven to 500 degrees, but move the lower rack as high up as possible to free up the floor of the oven. If you can’t put the pan on the floor of the oven, keep it on the lowest rack and add a pizza stone under the baking sheet, if you have one.

Cook 6-8 minutes, shaking the sheet and rotating the pan halfway through. Set the pan aside to cool the asparagus slightly before serving. Remove the sprigs and transfer the asparagus to a plate for serving. Taste the asparagus, and if a bit of salt is appropriate, add a sprinkle of Maldon or other flaky finishing sea salt for presentation.

photo by jenn kosar

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Dining in and loving it?  Follow my Dining In board on Pinterest for recipes I love or am dying to try. What’s your favorite weeknight chicken recipe?  Have you created your own?  Here’s your chance to shine, drop a link and let us all try it out!

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