Chicken Thighs with Green Beans in Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce. This easy chicken thighs recipe can be made in about 30 minutes, it’s full of savory lemon and garlic flavors, and it’s absolutely delicious. Feel free to serve as is, or with noodles, zoodles, rice…you name it.
Chicken Thighs with Green Beans Ingredients
To make this easy chicken recipe, you will need:
- Skinless and boneless chicken thighs: I’m partial to chicken thighs because of how flavorful the meat is, but if you can’t find them chicken breasts will work here too.
- Green beans: I recommend fresh green beans for this recipe, because anything out of the can will be too soft and even mushy.
- Sauce Ingredients: Butter, garlic, paprika, chicken broth, onion powder and lemon are the classics here. And of course chili hot sauce, although if you prefer not to cook with hot sauce, feel free to omit it and just go with red pepper flakes.
- Large skillet: You will need either a large stainless steel pan or a cast iron skillet. I used 12 inch cast iron pan.
- Garnishes: I love some chopped fresh parsley (or thyme, or chives) and lots and lots of freshly-cracked black pepper on my chicken thighs and beans.
How to make Chicken Thighs with Green beans
To make this recipe for chicken thighs, simply…
- Season the chicken thighs. Begin by seasoning with salt, onion powder, paprika and black pepper. Saute the chicken in a pan until it is nice and browned. Transfer the cooked thighs to a separate (clean) plate.
- Cook the green beans. Boil your beans for 10 minutes to make them soft. Alternatively you can microwave them with ½ of water for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer them to the same sauté pan, cook them with parsley, garlic, hot sauce and red pepper flakes until they are softened and ready to go.
- Deglaze the pan. Slowly add in the chicken broth and lemon juice, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to lift up any of those delicious brown bits.
- Add the chicken back to the pan. Then stir and reheat quickly.
- Serve! As is, with extra veggies or whatever sounds good, garnished with any of your favorite herbs.
Chicken Thighs Variation
If you’d like to mix things up, I’m a big fan of adding in:
- extra veggies: any stir-fry-friendly veggies will do here!
- extra heat: if you’d like a tiny kick, try adding in even more crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha to your sauce
- different protein: if chicken thighs aren’t your thing, this recipe is also delicious with chicken breasts, pork or thinly sliced steak
What to serve with this chicken thighs recipe
This recipe is great as is, but rice, quinoa, zoodles or any other kind of noodles would also be delicious. I love serving this with:
- a big green salad, such as Cucumber Tomato Salad with Avocado
- or this easy Olive Garden Copycat Salad
- a side of MORE veggies, such as these Creamy Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- either a bold red bottle of wine, or a nice crisp white (both pair great with this one)
- and…maybe some No Bake Chocolate Cream Pie for dessert 🙂
Enjoy!
Chicken Thighs with Lemon Garlic Green Beans
Easy, healthy and delicious chicken and green bean recipe!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb. skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
- 1 lb. green beans, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Sriracha
- ¼ teaspoon salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ cup chicken stock
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Season chicken thighs generously with this mixture. Set aside while you prepare green beans.
- Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add green beans and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange the seasoned chicken thighs in one layer in the skillet. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side for a total of 10-12 minutes. Adjust timing depending on the thickness of your chicken thighs. Once done transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, lower the heat and melt the remaining tablespoon butter. Add chopped parsley, garlic, hot sauce, red crushed chili pepper flakes, and pre-cooked green beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until cooked to your liking. Add lemon juice and chicken stock and reduce the sauce for a couple of minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Add cooked chicken thighs back to the pan and reheat. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (if necessary) and serve garnished with more crushed chili pepper and fresh parsley.
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Thighs with Lemon Garlic Green Beans
Amount Per Serving
Calories 334
Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 185mg62%
Sodium 367mg16%
Potassium 752mg21%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 36g72%
Vitamin A 1965IU39%
Vitamin C 27.1mg33%
Calcium 76mg8%
Iron 3.2mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
This was so delicious 😋 My house still smells amazing from making it. I will definitely make again. Thank you!
Love the smell of food in the kitchen as well!
Really good. Substituted Gochujang instead of red pepper flakes and this was super delicious. Family loved it and not too spicy.
I’m so happy your family loved it and thank you for the five star review!
Gochu is a good idea !
This recipe was soooo delish a s super easy. Very good and highly recommend. Wish I could post.a photo bc it looks exactly like what’s posted above lol.
oh great! If you tag #whatsinthepanblog on instagram – I will see it!
Looks delicious! Any suggestions on preparing this with skin on bone in chicken?
I would definitely finish the chicken in the oven at 375 for 25 to 35 minutes.
Another fabulous meal! Love that it’s so easy to make. Simple clean food!
Yes!
This was such a tasty dinner. I passed this recipe to my sis and she made it. It’s a keeper!
Just made this tonight as a low carb dinner option. I thought I would enjoy it more but I definitely cleaned my plate. 🙂 I omitted the red pepper flakes and was light on the garlic. Also, I got a little distracted so, my pan juices are bit dark…but not burned. I’d make it again.
I think dark pan juices can be a plus.
I don’t know why It comes to my instinct that green beans are not suitable for grilled chicken but your pan looks really interesting.
Love to try this recipe soon 🙂
This was an amazingly delicious dish!! I happen to have fresh green beans from my garden. Super easy and yummy!!
Thank you so much for sharing!! I would definitely make this again for dinner. My husband said it reminded him of chicken on a stick he use to get at a football game in Florida years ago!! Brought back lots of good memories!!
Good memories are so precious! Thank you, Sandra!