I love one-dish meals, especially ones that involve fennel and lemon. The aromatic anise flavor of fennel, and its juicy bite, caramelized around the edges by the heat of the oven — ah, it's delicious. So you can see how this quick, one-pan dish is really my favorite meal of the past month.
My love of chicken thighs is well-documented. They're not terribly dark, so even those in your household who prefer white meat shouldn't turn their noses up at thighs the way they might at drumsticks. And chicken thighs are unfailingly moist and forgiving. You can overcook them just a bit and they'll still be melting and juicy. They also are cheap. So really, what can go wrong?
Here I roast chicken thighs in a light bath of lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic, with thick wedges of fennel bulb thrown into the mix. They all roast together at high heat, crisping up around the edges and becoming infused with the flavor of garlic and lemon.
And it's so quick and easy; just cut up the fennel, toss it with the chicken and the other ingredients, roast and serve. Done!
serves 4
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 small fennel bulbs, between 1 and 1 1/4 pounds total
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine
1 Meyer lemon
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 425°F. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl.
Trim the stalks and fronds off the fennel bulbs, and cut each bulb in quarters. Then slice each quarter into 1-inch-thick slices. Add to the bowl with the chicken. Mince about 1 tablespoon of fennel fronds and also add to the bowl.
Add the minced garlic, olive oil, and white wine to the bowl. Zest and juice the lemon, and add both to the bowl. Toss all the ingredients together, and add the salt and a generous amount of black pepper.
Spread the chicken and fennel on a large baking sheet, arranging the fennel around the outside and placing the chicken pieces closely together in the center. Pour any remaining juices in the bowl over the chicken.
Roast for 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of about 160°F, and the fennel is tender and beginning to brown around the edges. Take the pan out of the oven, and cover with foil. Let it rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with rice or bread.
(Images: Faith Durand)
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What exactly is a meyer lemon? Would using a regular lemon change the flavor at all? This looks spectacular.
As far as I know, Meyer lemons are sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons. (I think they are a cross between a lemon and an orange.)
I seldom can find Meyer lemons, so I use regular lemon juice and add a bit of orange juice to it, and perhaps that would work in this recipe. It looks delicious.
roasted fennel is my new love! sweet and caramelized, with a lemon squeeze and parmesan shavings. here's a link for anyone that wants fennel without the chicken.
Oh wow. This is everything I love, all in one place. Making this as soon as possible.
Ah. Two things I love in a recipe: simplicity and boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Definitely on my short list.
On the Meyer lemon - yes! You can just substitute a regular lemon. Thanks for the question on that; I meant to add a note about it. The other flavors here and the roasting time are such that using a regular lemon won't overwhelm the dish.
Made this last night for dinner (used a regular lemon and my grocery store only had bone-in chicken thighs with skin so removed them myself). It came out great! My husband, who has never been a fan of fennel, commented that it was much more flavorful with the lemon + garlic than previous times I have made it. And the chicken was also moist and flavorful. I served it with basmati rice and we had a nice mineral-y chardonnay which really complemented the dish. Not to mention while it is cooking it makes your house smell amazing. :)
You said that wings are dark, wings are white meat.
made this last night for dinner and it was AMAZING!! thanks for the great recipe!! (so easy too!)
Made this tonight - this is delicious and I had it with steamed broccoli. The only thing I did differently is add some red chili flakes for some heat, but next time I will add a sliced onion with the fennel. I second ottowoman in saying it smelled amazing.
Made this tonight with rice and Honig sauvignon blanc - used the wine in both the chicken and in place of a few ounces of the rice cooking water. Was amazing. So easy and quick and totally delicious.
Have this in the oven right now! Halved the recipe, but kept all of the garlic, and had to sub out a dry hard cider for wine, as it's all we had. Should be wonderful, regardless!
This is so good! I just made it! The lemon is delicious in this.
Just made this for dinner tonight. Holy goodness gracious-- amazing! I love the lemon in it!
I followed the recipe exactly and it was FABULOUS. Wonderful flavors, beautiful presentation and incredibly easy! Simple enough for a busy week night but impressive enough to wow dinner guests. This will certainly become a regular. I typically don't care for fennel, but prepared with the meyer lemons it takes on a wonderful tangy warm favor.
Thank you!
I made this again tonight with half of one whole perserved lemon and it was still amazing.
Wouldn't chicken thighs be a little chewy at 160--even after resting? Wouldn't 170 be more like it? They're so fatty, they're not likely to dry out.
I made this the other day and it was so good! I just posted it today on my "Your Recipe - My Kitchen" post. Stop by and see.
I made this for dinner tonight, and it's really delicious. I only had one fennel bulb, so I subbed in a sliced yellow onion. I also wanted a starch, so I threw in 4 smaller cubed yukon gold potatoes and added a bit more olive oil, wine, and garlic. Thanks for the great recipe!
Going into the oven shortly...However I'm not a fan of thighs at all, so I'm using boneless/skinless breasts. Can't wait! I LOVE fennel!
Thank you for posting this delicious looking meal. I'll be making this tonight!
Divine dish! Thank you!
Wow! I had been waiting for the perfect recipe to use fennel and this one did not disappoint. I used quinoa as a side. Tonight was a snowy, blustery night and this tasted like a lovely breath of spring! Thank you!
Just made this tonight - what a hit! So easy an inexpensive to put together, and I'm always a fan of a recipe that uses just a hint of wine and leaves the rest of the bottle for drinking. :) I put just a little fennel on my toddler's plate, since he'd never had it. Three helpings later I'd say this is a new family classic. Thank you!