I Made Chrissy Teigen's Herb-Butter Chicken and Could Have Eaten All 4 Servings Myself

By Emily Weaver

Updated on 7/4/2020 at 5:55 PM

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POPSUGAR Photography | Emily Weaver
POPSUGAR Photography | Emily Weaver

I love cooking with chicken because there are so many ways it can be prepared: grilled, fried, baked, stir-fried, pan-fried, etc. You can also add seasoning or dressing to make it sweet, spicy, tangy, what have you. So when I came across Chrissy Teigen's recipe for herb butter chicken thighs and potatoes, it was a no-brainer that I needed to try it. (Plus, I could never turn down a dish that features potatoes as a main ingredient.)

To no surprise, the Cravings cookbook author has found a way to harmoniously marry the flavor of chicken thighs and melty red potatoes. It also doesn't hurt that the dish is consumed with an herby garlic compound butter that's so savory, my taste buds could barely wait for the oven timer to go off! Sure, the pictures make for an impressive dish, but don't let them or the lengthy directions fool you — this recipe is perfect for beginners. The next time you have an hour or so to spare, bust out your skillet and mixing bowl, and get to cookin'! Keep reading for the full recipe and a few helpful tips I've noted along the way.

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POPSUGAR Photography | Emily Weaver

Don't own a lemon zester? No sweat, you can use a potato peeler as a substitute. Just make sure to make fast and short movements so you don't end up with full-length lemon peels.

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POPSUGAR Photography | Emily Weaver
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POPSUGAR Photography | Emily Weaver

Since I didn't have a skillet that was oven-safe, I had to improvise with a baking dish. This worked just as well, but I did have to keep it in the oven for an extra 20-30 minutes, which is something to keep in mind when you're calculating how much time to set aside for making dinner.

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POPSUGAR Photography | Emily Weaver

Look how delicious that looks! Chef's kiss, am I right?!

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POPSUGAR Photography | Emily Weaver

Some of the corners may appear to look raw, which could be the case, or it could be the skin on the thigh getting crispy from the coating of butter compound. Check your chicken halfway through, and scoop the juice over the chicken and potatoes for extra flavor. If the chicken isn't fully cooked at the end of the hour, pop it back in the oven for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Herb Butter Chicken Thighs & Potatoes

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Yield4 servings

Chrissy Teigen

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 stick butter, softened (not melted)
    • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
    • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
    • 1 lemon
    • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds)
    • Black pepper
    • 1 1/2 pounds smallish (but not tiny/baby) red potatoes
    • Olive oil (optional)

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. To make your herby garlic compound butter, combine butter, garlic, parsley, and salt in a bowl. Finely zest the lemon into the butter then stir until incorporated. Slice the zest lemon into 1/4-inch thick circles, remove all seeds. Set aside.

    2. Clean and pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, generously season both sides with salt and pepper, and set aside.

    3. Wash, dry, and slice your potatoes. Not too thin to where they're flimsy but not more than a half an inch thick either! See photo.

    4. Take about 2 tablespoons of the compound butter and spread a thin layer along the bottom of a 10- or 12-inch heavy skillet.

    5. Arrange the sliced potatoes in an overlapping circular pattern. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and, if you wish, a drizzle of olive oil.

    6. Arrange the chicken on top of the potatoes, and spread the rest of the compound butter on top of the chicken. Place a slice of lemon on each thigh.

    7. Pop into the oven for at least one hour, until the skin is golden, the lemons are slightly dark around the edges, and the exposed potatoes are browned and crisp. (If you have a meat thermometer, check that the chicken has cooked to an internal temp of 165°F.) Peek into the oven once or twice throughout baking, tilting the pan and spooning the buttery juices onto both the potatoes and chicken.

    8. Serve the chicken over the potatoes and spoon some of the buttery pan liquid over the top! Pure deliciousness!

    Notes

    If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can use a baking dish, but you'll need to adjust your cook time in the oven.