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Crispy chicken with lemon and capers in a large serving tray, with a bowl of capers and a bowl of peppercorns. The chicken is garnished with lemon slices and parsley.
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5 from 1 vote

Crispy Chicken with Lemon and Capers

Few items are as affordable as bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, and this is one of my favorite ways to make them. I always have parsley and lemon hanging around my kitchen, and I just pre-make a batch of House Seasoning Blend since I use it on almost everything. This dish takes just over 30 minutes to throw together and finishes in the oven, leaving plenty of time to whip up a quick vegetable side dish and tidy up the kitchen. Be sure to spoon plenty of the pan juices over the chicken when serving; it’s delicious.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Calories: 987

Ingredients

For the House Seasoning Blend

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the crispy chicken

  • 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon House Seasoning Blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons capers*, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 lemons, one halved and one sliced
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the House Seasoning Blend

  • In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Any leftover seasoning can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Make the crispy chicken

  • Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • Trim any excess fat or hanging skin away from the chicken thighs. Season the skin side of the thighs with the House Seasoning Blend and kosher salt.
  • Set a cast-iron skillet (or another oven-safe skillet) over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the chicken to the skillet, skin side down, leaving about 1 inch (25 mm) space between each thigh. If necessary, work in batches. Attempting to sear all of the pieces at once in a pan that is too small will cause the temperature of the pan to drop quickly, steaming the thighs rather than searing them.
  • Sear chicken until golden, about 3 minutes, move to a plate, and sear the second batch, if necessary.
  • Return all of the chicken to the skillet skin side up and slide the skillet into the oven. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and registers an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Remove skillet from the oven, sprinkle chicken with capers and parsley. Squeeze lemon halves over the chicken, then arrange the lemon slices in the skillet with the chicken.
  • Spoon the pan juices over the chicken and serve directly from the skillet.

Notes

*What are capers?

Capers are the green, unripened flower buds of the caper bush, also known as the Flinders rose. The tiny little buds are pickled and used like pickles or olives. They have a salty, briny taste and add loads of flavor to a dish. 
If you're unable to find them, you can use olives (preferably green) in place of them. Just chop them up into small pieces and you'll never know that difference. Pickles can be used but they often have a sweetness that capers and olives don't.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 987kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 78g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 378mg | Sodium: 937mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g