Lemon Zest, Lemon Juice, and Plenty of Spices.
The combination of lemon zest, lemon juice, black pepper, and oregano cooked with tender, juicy chicken thighs makes this a weekly tradition. It’s quick, easy, and most of all, it is absolutely delicious. Personally, I also use more spices than the average cook, so perhaps this also lends to the flavor of this dish. Instead of using 1/8th of a teaspoon of black pepper; I use an entire teaspoon. Using chicken thighs also helps.
Fresh boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Besides having an intense flavor because the thighs are “the dark meat,” the dark meat is also great for the Keto diet since about 70%-75% of your macros are fat.
Marinate in a bag instead of a bowl.
I start with marinating the chicken thighs in a bag, for at least two hours at room temperature. Ideally, you want to do this overnight in the refrigerator. But if you forget, take the chicken out of the refrigerator right when you come home from work. Start your marination process and let it sit for one hour. The 1 hour is better than no marination.
Place in a resealable bag.
Using a sealable bag, add the olive oil, lemon, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and oregano to the chicken; remove the air, and let it rest for two hours on the counter.
Remove the air, and lay it flat on your countertop (or in your refrigerator).
If you live in a house with no AC in the middle of summer and your house is 100 degrees, you may not want to do this. But under normal conditions, it should be fine. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, then marinate it in the refrigerator and take it out 30 minutes before you cook it to come to room temperature.
After two hours, remove it from the bag, and lay the chicken thighs on a baking sheet. You can line your baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil if you want an easy clean-up after you are done cooking.
