Lemon & Herb Chicken with Fennel (Whole30 - Keto)

Dairy FreeKetoNut FreePaleoSpecific Carbohydrate DietWhole30

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This Crispy Lemon & Herb Chicken with Fennel is a great one pan dish that works just as well for weeknight dinner as it does for serving to guests. The chicken has a delicious crispy skin and is coated in a lemon & herb sauce and cooked in the oven over caramelized fennel. This dish is Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.

I thought that this Crispy Lemon & Herb Chicken was the perfect recipe to share now that spring is finally here (well at least that’s what my calendar says, apparently the weather god’s missed the memo).

Long gone are the days of slow cooked meats and stews, spring is for dishes that are easy to make, light, fresh and full of flavour.

Chicken thighs are baked on a bed of fennel and onion and coated in a delicious lemon, garlic and herb sauce. The fennel becomes deliciously caramelized and the chicken skin gets nice and crispy. Honestly is there anything better then crispy chicken skin?

I have to confess that I have only recently discovered the wonders of bone in skin on chicken thighs. I used to be a big advocate of boneless skinless chicken breasts because they are so much easier to eat and relatively easy to cook, but also a little dull. It turns out that not only are bone-in skin-on chicken thighs cheaper, they are also so much more flavourful!

I love roasted fennel. When baked in the oven it becomes nicely caramelized which is a perfect contrast to the zesty flavour of the lemon sauce. The fennel and onions are also delicious eaten cold as leftovers or tossed in to salads, so feel free to add in more then is listed in the recipe.

Here are a few other one pan chicken recipes you will love:

Honey Mustard Chicken
Balsamic Chicken with Figs
Coq No Vin
Szechuan Chicken Thighs
Creamy Mushroom Chicken

If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!

Crispy Lemon & Herb Chicken with Fennel

4.67 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest + more for garnish
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
3 cloves garlic crushed
5 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
1 fennel bulb cut into pieces
1 onion cut into wedges
1/2 lemon, cut into thin slices

Instructions

In a bowl whisk together 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest, oregano, thyme and garlic.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the thighs skin side down in the skillet and sear for approximately 5 minutes until golden in colour. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit)
Place the fennel and onion wedges in the skillet and then top with the chicken thighs and lemon slices. Pour the lemon and herb sauce over top and then place the skillet in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Half way through cooking spoon some of the liquid from the bottom of the skillet over the chicken and then return to the oven to continue cooking.
Once the chicken is cooked through and the fennel is tender, turn the oven to broil and move the skillet to the top rack to crisp up the skin for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with lemon zest before serving

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!

Mains One Pan

originally posted March 23, 2018 — last updated April 28, 2021by Every Last Bite

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13 comments on “Crispy Lemon & Herb Chicken with Fennel”

allrecipeweb — November 4, 2021 @ 6:33 am Reply

I really appreciate you Carman, I really like this recipe and often try it myself. Thanks
Kathy — November 2, 2021 @ 10:57 pm Reply

This is only my second time eating fennel. I thought I wouldn’t like it because I’m not a fan of licorice, but when sautéed and caramelized, that flavor disappears! It’s especially delicious combined with the onion—sweet and savory! This recipe is a keeper!! 😋
Linda — February 2, 2019 @ 11:28 pm Reply

Made this tonight and it was delicious. I used chicken legs since I had them on hand. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe!
- Every Last Bite — February 3, 2019 @ 11:28 am Reply
  
  Really happy to hear that you enjoyed it Linda!
MCK — January 17, 2019 @ 3:04 am Reply

My husband made this dish after I sent him the recipe in a text while I was working. We LOVED it especially him!!! Everuthing we have made has been A MAZING!TY TY TY!
- Every Last Bite — January 17, 2019 @ 9:40 pm Reply
  
  Yea!!! So happy to hear that! Also so envious that your husband makes dinner!
Jen Vander Plaats — May 4, 2018 @ 2:54 pm Reply

I made this dish and it was delicious! I don’t know if you were supposed to eat the lemon slices that you bake with the chicken and fennel, but we did and I feel like it really elevated the dish from good to great. I did double the recipe. I started out cooking it in a cast iron skillet, but found after 25 minutes it wasn’t close to being done. Probably because I crowded too much food in one pan. I then moved it to a baking sheet and cooked the chicken for another 12 minutes or so and then cooked the fennel for about 10 minutes more to make it crispy. All in all, this dish was delish! This is my new favorite food blog!!
- Every Last Bite — May 8, 2018 @ 8:38 pm Reply
  
  Thank you for such a kind comment Jen! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the chicken! And thanks for the tip about transferring it to a baking sheet, that is definitely going to be useful for anyone who doesn’t have a big enough skillet.
Pamela — March 27, 2018 @ 1:13 am Reply

This was delicious!
tabithatalksfood — March 26, 2018 @ 2:30 am Reply

I think I could eat lemon pepper chicken almost every day of the week! This looks delicious!
- Every Last Bite — March 26, 2018 @ 6:55 pm Reply
  
  Me too! Lemon and pepper are two of my favourite flavours.
Chelsea @ DoYouEvenPaleo — March 25, 2018 @ 11:07 pm Reply

This looks SO good! I don’t have fennel often enough. I’ll have to put this on my meal plan sometime this spring!
- Every Last Bite — March 26, 2018 @ 6:54 pm Reply
  
  Me neither!! I always forget to include fennel in my cooking. It is such a delicious side when baked or sautéed, i love it.

Lemon & Herb Chicken with Fennel (Whole30 - Keto) - Every Last Bite (2024)