Oven-Baked Chicken Piccata With Roasted Lemons

This recipe is proof that a handful of ingredients and letting the oven do most of the work can result in a divine dinner. Chicken thighs roast alongside lemon halves that caramelize for bursts of citrus flavor throughout. Instead of making a pan sauce on the stovetop, a buttery lemon-caper sauce is made in the baking dish by adding garlic, wine, and broth to the roasting chicken. Once the chicken gets a go under the broiler to crisp up the skin, you’ll set it aside, and add butter, capers, and a touch more broth to pick up all the browned bits in the baking dish. A little whisking will emulsify the sauce just as if it were made the classic way.

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat oven and season chicken:

Step 2

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in upper third position. Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and pepper; place skin-side up in a broiler-safe 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle chicken evenly with oil.

Step 3

Bake chicken: Bake chicken for 15 minutes. Place lemon halves, cut sides down, around chicken; add garlic, wine, and 1/2 cup broth around chicken and lemon halves. Bake until chicken is golden and a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of thighs registers at least 160°F, 12 to 15 minutes

Step 4

Broil chicken: Without removing baking dish from oven, increase oven temperature to broil; broil until skin is deep golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes

Step 5

Make pan sauce: Transfer chicken and lemon halves to a platter. Add butter, capers, and remaining 1/2 cup broth to juices in baking dish. Broil until butter is melted and sauce is slightly thickened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add parsley and carefully whisk together until smooth and emulsified. Serve chicken with pan sauce and roasted lemons; garnish with additional parsley.

Step 6

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions While this recipe is best right after it’s made, leftovers can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator, storing chicken and sauce separately, for up to 5 days. Reheat chicken in the oven to crisp up the skin.