Braised chicken thighs and legs in butter and lemon juice, finished with whole roasted lemons for bright, citrusy depth and silky pan sauce.
Marcella's signature technique: the whole roasted lemons soften and release oils into the sauce, creating a more complex citrus flavor than juice alone. Do not brown the chicken too aggressively; medium heat ensures the butter doesn't burn and the skin crisps gently.
The sauce should be thin and buttery, not thick. If it reduces too much, add a splash of water.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks (about 6–8 pieces; skin-on, bone-in preferred)
- 4 whole lemons (divided: 2 halved for juice, 2 left whole for roasting)
- 5 tbsp butter (3 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons, divided)
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks (about 6–8 pieces; skin-on, bone-in preferred)
- 4 whole lemons (divided: 2 halved for juice, 2 left whole for roasting)
- 5 tbsp butter (3 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons, divided)
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Prepare the lemons and season the chicken
Halve lemons and squeeze their juice into a small bowl; set aside. Leave the remaining lemons whole.
Pat the chicken thighs and drumsticks (3 pound) dry with paper towels. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
Brown the chicken
Melt butter (3 tablespoon) in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until foaming.
Place chicken pieces skin-side down in the skillet in a single layer. Do not crowd; work in batches if needed.
Cook undisturbed for 5–6 minutes until skin is golden and releases easily from the pan.
Turn chicken with tongs and cook the other side for 3–4 minutes until lightly colored. Transfer to a plate.
Equipment: tongs, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven
Build the sauce and braise
Pour off excess fat from the skillet, leaving about 1 tbsp. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Add the reserved lemon juice and the remaining butter (2 tablespoon) to the skillet, stirring gently to combine.
Return all chicken pieces to the skillet skin-side up. Nestle the 2 whole lemons among the chicken.
Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat for 25–30 minutes until chicken is cooked through (165°F at thickest part of thigh).
Equipment: heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven
Finish and serve
Uncover the skillet and taste the sauce; adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Spoon the pan sauce and whole roasted lemons over the chicken and serve immediately.
Equipment: heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Marcella's signature technique: the whole roasted lemons soften and release oils into the sauce, creating a more complex citrus flavor than juice alone.
- • Do not brown the chicken too aggressively; medium heat ensures the butter doesn't burn and the skin crisps gently.
- • The sauce should be thin and buttery, not thick. If it reduces too much, add a splash of water.
- • Serve immediately with the pan sauce spooned over chicken; the whole roasted lemons can be halved at the table for guests to squeeze over.
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