Braised Lemon Chicken with Dill and Turmeric – Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipe
Fresh dill makes me happy. I love many herbs, but dill is right at the top of my list. The aroma reminds me of spring. Its bright green color cheers me up. The little baby herb fronds are so soft and fun to chop. Dare I say it? This herb is cute. Dill makes me smile. Weird? Yes. I must have been a pickle in my past life.
For centuries dill was used in medicinal concoctions for everything from colic to bad breath. During the time of Queen Elizabeth I dill was recognized for its culinary value and was added to her royal gardens. One recipe that appeared during the Elizabethan period calls for dill in a dish of steamed spinach and sliced shallots with lemon juice. The pairing of dill and lemon, even early on, makes perfect sense. Lemon and dill go together like peas and carrots, as Forrest Gump would say.
Nowadays dill is generally associated with pickling, but it can be used in all kinds of savory dishes. Here I’ve paired fresh dill with lemon juice and turmeric to create a simple and satisfying chicken entree. Chicken thighs are braised, slowly simmered with fresh dill in broth with a healthy does of anti-inflammatory turmeric spice. I also add a pinch of cayenne for just a touch of heat. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is added at the very end along with an extra sprinkle of fresh dill for a bright burst of flavor. This dish takes only 5 minutes to prep and another 40 minutes to cook, resulting in a satisfying entree just perfect for a weeknight meal. As obsessed as I am with dill, my husband and stepdaughter crave lemon. The flavor makes us all happy and I love the ease of preparation; this dish has quickly worked its way into our regular meal rotation. Enjoy!
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Food Photography Beauty Shots & Styling by Louise Mellor
Braised Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Dill
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, bone in skin on
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 1 quart low sodium chicken broth you won't need the whole quart
- 8 sprigs fresh dill + 1/2 tbsp chopped dill divided
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or more to taste
NOTES
Instructions
- Heat olive oil on high in saute pan until it just begins to smoke. As oil heats, season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear the chicken thighs, skin side down, for a few minutes until they are golden brown. Reduce heat to medium. Remove thighs from pan and set aside.
- Add sliced onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, soft and starting to turn golden. Drain any excess fat from the pan.
- Return thighs to pan, skin side up. Pour in chicken broth until it reaches halfway up the sides of the thighs.
- Arrange the fresh dill sprigs over and around the thighs (reserve the chopped dill). Sprinkle on 1/2 tsp turmeric, a pinch of cayenne, and 1/4 tsp salt (if you’re salt sensitive, you may omit the salt here and simply add to taste at the end of cooking). Bring broth to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium.Cover the pan, vented, and reduce heat to medium low. Let the thighs simmer for 40-45 minutes, basting with the cooking liquid every 10 minutes or so, until meat is exceptionally tender.
- Remove thighs from pan. Remove the dill sprigs from the broth. Add 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice to the pan sauce, or more to taste, as well as additional salt and pepper to taste if desired. The sauce should be semi-thick at this point; feel free to thicken it further with a slurry of 1 tbsp water and 2 tsp cornstarch, adding slowly to the pan and stirring at a simmer until desired thickness is reached.Serve thighs and sauce topped with remaining freshly chopped dill. Pairs well with any neutral-flavored starch like rice, quinoa or mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Research Sources:
Seymour, Miranda. A Brief History of Thyme and Other Herbs. New York: Grove, 2002. Print.
Barbara Gabbe-Harris says
Tori, finally made the chicken! Sooo yummy! Just wanted to share with you…and all…..at The Fresh Market, a store near to me in Florida, I found Monterey Farms ArtiHearts – fresh grilled artichokes in the produce section…all natural Ingredients in a vacuum sealed bag…..I added them to the chicken dish ….really good!
❤️ Barbara
Tori Avey says
Very happy you liked it Barbara!
Ann says
Prepared this dish a few days ago – definitely a keeper! Family loved it. Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Great to hear that Ann 🙂
Elsie Ardry says
I have a Ninja Professional Slow Cooker that I can fry and braise in. Do you think I could make this luscious looking dish in it? It would save me a lot of cleanup. Thank you for all of your superb recipes.
Tori Avey says
Hi Elsie, I’ve never cooked with that device, but if you can fry and braise in it then it will probably work just fine. You just want to make sure that the heat is pretty high in the beginning when you’re cooking the chicken skin-side down, if the heat is not high enough the chicken might stick a bit. Enjoy!
Rhona says
I made it tonight with breasts, it was a hit! I like the idea that I just read to add artichoke hearts, sounds lovely. Thank you for this very easy recipe.
Tori Avey says
Happy you liked it Rhona! I also loved that artichoke suggestion, may have to try it myself 🙂
Amy Kargauer says
Sounds not too hard and very delicious…on my list of must try dishes!
Toby says
This looked really good and I made it for shabbat. The blend of flavors was really tasty but there was too much broth in it and it came out tasting like boiled chicken. I would try it again and let it Cook in its own juices.
Tori Avey says
Toby, the juices should have reduced during cooking. Did you vent the lid as suggested? Also you should only add broth until it goes halfway up the sides of the chicken pieces. A little perplexed, as the juices always turn out nice and thickened for me. Sorry you didn’t have the same experience!
Audrey says
I am going to make this evening, we have thighs! I will have to make the choice to use fresh rosemary or dried dill. We love lemon Chicken and are always looking for new recipes.
bea shames says
Hi Tory:
Can I do this recipe with bone in chicken breast?
Tori Avey says
Hi Bea, please read the comments above as I have already addressed this question.
Barbara says
This looks yummy….I just need the chicken thighs…have all the rest! Can’t wait to make it! I’ve been trying to use a lot of turmeric these days. How did you know? Thanks.
Barbara
BTW, I did enter a comment to win Purim basket….actually did it 3 times trying to see it in print…after I hit the “submit” button, it seemed to work but couldn’t see my comment. Do you know if it went through or not?
Tori Avey says
Barbara, it takes 24-48 hours for comments to go through moderation. I’m sure it did go through but it doesn’t appear right away.
Barbara Gabbe-Harris says
Oh thank you, Tori…..re: comments for Zabar’s Purim Basket. Now I feel embarrassed that I submitted 3 posts…oh well…now at least I understand how the post system works.
Barbara
Tori Avey says
No worries Barbara! There is supposed to be a comment in red that appears letting you know that the comment has gone to moderation… I wonder if it appeared for you, or if it’s too easy to miss? At any rate I did double check and your comment went through. Good luck!
Judith says
This sounds delish, I think I would use some preserved lemon in this dish as well..
Michele says
I can’t wait to try this in a Vegan version. I use turmeric in my scrambled tofu to give it the color of eggs. It’s looks great and tastes even better!
David Scott says
Do you have this in just the printed form, no pictures? Thank you.
Tori Avey says
David, press the red “print recipe” button on the recipe card and it will produce a version without pics for printing.
Stephanie says
Well, I am using this recipe exactly, but you inspired me for a dinner that I will be having tomorrow with some friends. I am using your techniques for cooking the chicken thighs, but instead will do a coconut curry sauce with tomatoes and peppers 🙂 So excited! Now I just have to figure out how to make some Naan bread. (gluten free for us!)
Tori Avey says
Sounds yummy Stephanie!
Stephanie says
It was soooo good!!
Tori Avey says
So glad you enjoyed it Stephanie! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Sara says
Can’t wait to try this… I think I see artichoke hearts sneaking in as well!
Susan Jackson says
Yummy, you show us the best stuff to cook!! Thanks
Susan Jackson says
Yum, I want to make this. Need to go get tumeric–wish we had a spice area to buy small amounts!!
Leah says
Susan, I would like to suggest to check your local health food store. If they have bulk spices you may even find it organically grown. 🙂
Paul Fossett says
Prepared this dish this evening. Didn’t change anything other than braising it in a 325 degree oven. Served it w/a garlic/lemon rice pilaff tossed with tomato, basil & raisins…good stuff!!!
David Grice says
Thank you,Tori.
David Grice says
I don’t have dill in my little herb garden here in Crete,it doesn’t like the climate.Would it be OK to use thyme instead?
Tori Avey says
David yes, thyme would be lovely. You might also try a couple of sprigs of rosemary (you won’t need as much, as rosemary is a stronger flavored herb).
Gael Dawn Steadman says
Thank you so much for all you do and the wonderful recipes! I haven’t found a recipe of yours yet that I didn’t love. ☺️