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Chicken Oreganato

Originally posted Feb 7, 2009.  Photo Updated Mar 5, 2012

My friend Vanessa sent me this recipe, saying it was delicious and she craved it so much when she was pregnant that she was sometimes making it twice a week. I'm all about oregano and the pungent brightness of lemon, and the two of them together is pretty much a match made in heaven, so I knew before even trying this recipe that I was going to agree with Vanessa.

Recipe from Teresa @ Allrecipes.com
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Serves 4-6

8 bone-in chicken thighs
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Zest of lemon

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse the chicken thighs and then pat dry. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and place skin side down in a greased 9x13 baking dish. In a resealable glass jar or container, add the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, close tightly and shake well. Pour half the lemon oil over the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1 tsp of oregano and place in the oven.

Once they have baked for 15 minutes, flip the chicken over, drizzle with the remaining lemon oil and sprinkle on the remaining tsp of oregano. Place back in the oven for 15-20 minutes. To get a nice golden color on the skin, broil for a couple minutes at the end of the baking time.

Serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze more delicious lemony goodness on them at the table.

Click here for printable version of Chicken Oreganato

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THE RESULTS?
These are incredibly simple and delicious. Lemon and oregano are perfect for each other. The lemon oil makes the chicken really moist and juicy on the inside with a nice golden crust on the outside. My husband said it was one of his favorite ways to eat baked chicken. I would agree.  In the last 3 years since discovering this recipe, I find myself making it all the time.  Every time I've got some chicken thighs, my first inclination is to douse them in oil, lemon and oregano.  They're dang good!

Meal Ideas:

  • Chicken Oreganato + Garlic Sauce + Rice Pilaf