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 just like Chicken and Green Beans in Creamy Mushroom Sauce.
Chicken Thighs with Green Beans are cooked together to create a wonderfully yummy and well balanced meal. Add hasselback potatoes, carrots, butter garlic spaghetti, or fresh baby spinach salad. Then, just before serving, add a bit of salt pepper, and lemon juice to balance the garlic and give a touch of umami to this delicious, hearty dinner. It's just the yummiest!
Lemon Chicken and Green Beans Ingredients
- 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
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Add the chicken back to the pan. Then stir and reheat quickly.
Chicken Thighs with Lemon Garlic Green Beans
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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.
Video
Recipe Variations
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
FAQ
What's the best internal temperature for chicken thighs? The USDA minimum is 165°F, but I recommend 175°F for bone-in thighs for the juiciest result. I cover the full temperature guide - including why higher temps actually make thighs more tender, not less - in my ultimate guide to cooking chicken thighs.
Serving suggestions
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!
Married Widow says
It's even yommier than the photos! I am working on clearing out my freezer, and this adressed my search for making an "easy" high rated healthy dinner to use up my abundance of greenbeans, limes, and chicken drumsticks, better than my wildest hopes. Even my picky husband who prefers 'meat and potatoes loved it! It's going to be on my go to recipes.
Michelle says
This was so delicious 😋 My house still smells amazing from making it. I will definitely make again. Thank you!
Olya says
Love the smell of food in the kitchen as well!
Carol says
Really good. Substituted Gochujang instead of red pepper flakes and this was super delicious. Family loved it and not too spicy.
Olya says
I'm so happy your family loved it and thank you for the five star review!
Mike S says
Gochu is a good idea !
Kelly says
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.
Olya says
oh great! If you tag #whatsinthepanblog on instagram - I will see it!
Keisha says
Looks delicious! Any suggestions on preparing this with skin on bone in chicken?
Olya says
I would definitely finish the chicken in the oven at 375 for 25 to 35 minutes.
Bette says
Another fabulous meal! Love that it’s so easy to make. Simple clean food!
Olya says
Yes!
Sandy Nii says
This was such a tasty dinner. I passed this recipe to my sis and she made it. It’s a keeper!
Roshel says
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.
Olya says
I think dark pan juices can be a plus.
Luna @ Healthy Kitchen 101 says
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 🙂
Sandra Quinones says
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!!
Olya says
Good memories are so precious! Thank you, Sandra!