This one-pan herbed lemon + asparagus chicken dish is one of my favorite summertime meals to make at home. One-pan meals are a perfect, quick dinner for the whole family or a simple dish to whip up for a meal prep to have for the week ahead. The lemon and parsley add a touch of freshness that make this dish taste like summertime in every bite while the crispy chicken thighs and creamy rice give it a savory, satiating touch.

I am someone that truly enjoys making dishes using ingredients that are local and in season. Asparagus in Minnesota in the summertime is lovely, so adding it to this dish only made sense. Between the asparagus, the lemon, and fresh parsley – this dish just tastes like summer.

I like using chicken thighs for this recipe because of their higher fat content. Chicken thighs DO have more flavor than breasts but if you’re not a chicken thigh girly (or boy), breasts would work with this recipe too. If you’re using chicken breasts instead, you probably only will need 3-4 breasts depending on the size of them.

Other vegetable suggestions if asparagus isn’t your jam

I loved using something green in this dish to add a little pop of color, and with asparagus being so fruitful in Minnesota during this time, I wanted to use something in season. However, broccoli or zucchini would work great too! With zucchini though, you do run the risk of it getting a little mushy as it will cook in the broth so broccoli would be my first choice.

Tips for delicious chicken thighs

• Season your chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Make sure your pan is HOT before adding meat to it, always. You want to SEAR meat and the only way to do it is to place it on a hot pan with oil or butter. Getting a good crust or char on your chicken will up the flavor immensely.
• Do not overcrowd your pan when cooking meat. This will give the meat more of a steam effect than a sear. You want to make sure the thighs have room on the pan and are not on top of each other.

Why I love one-pan meals

One-pan meals are *always* trending. Just the title in itself sounds quick and convenient, and that’s exactly what it is.

• minimal cleanup – you don’t have 3 burners on your stove going at once to try to put together the perfect dish.
• set it and forget it – there’s something to be said about being able to put the lid on, set the heat to low, and walk away for a bit until it’s ready.
• easy to follow – recipes for these kinds of dishes are usually quite easy to follow as the steps to creating it are pretty minimal.

Let me know if you make this recipe and leave a comment if you do! ENJOY, MY FRIENDS.

One-Pan Herbed Lemon + Asparagus Chicken

A perfect summertime dinner dish that comes together quickly in one pan! The lemon and parsley work together to make this dish taste bright and fresh with some herbed chicken and rice to make the dish satiating and filling – a great dinner for the family or a simple meal prep for the week ahead.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Equipment

• 1 deep pan with a lid

Ingredients

  

• 5 chicken thighs
• 1 cup white onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cup chicken stock
• 2 lemons
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1.5 cup chopped asparagus
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt more if needed (this is ingredient is subjective)
• grated parmesan for topping
• fresh parsley chopped, for topping

Instructions

 

• Season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large skillet (one that has a lid to it) with some olive oil, wait until pan is HOT and then add your chicken thighs.
• Sear on 1 side for 4 minutes (or until browned, you wanted this a little bit charred) and then flip to sear other side (you will not be cooking the chicken fully through at this point) but make sure your thighs are slightly charred.
• Once both sides are browned, remove from skillet and set aside. In the same pan, add chopped onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until browned and fragrant.
• Add in your garlic, chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice from 1 of your 2 lemons, uncooked (but rinsed) rice, raw asparagus, shredded parmesan, cream, dried parsley, butter, and tsp salt and fresh cracked pepper. Stir well to combine.
• Set heat to medium and bring to a light boil. Once boiling, give it another stir and add your chicken thighs back in with the rice and set heat to LOW and cover for 10 minutes.
• Uncover and stir your rice around a bit (taste test it and check for doneness).
• If you need to, add a little more broth to help the rice finish cooking if the liquid is gone and cover and cook for 3-5 more minutes.
• Remove from heat and add shredded parmesan cheese on top with chopped parsley and slice your second lemon and add to the top. Enjoy!

Keyword chicken thighs, dinner, easy recipes, herbs, lemon, one pot, summer