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.
Hadi Waqar says
Chicken + lemon = ❤️
Will definitely try this. Thanks 🙂
Nicole says
Looks amazing. Chicken and lemon, always an amazing combination.
Laura says
Just stunning. I love braised lemon chicken
and am so happy to have a recipe for it now. Thank you for sharing!
Margie Benitez says
Delicious and easy to make!!
Brooke says
I stumbled upon this tonight and made it and it was so good!!! I used chicken drumsticks and it turned out just as great. I didn’t use the chicken broth but just poured in water and it made it’s own broth and thickened up. I would highly recommend this!
Wendy says
Made it and turned out great!
Amy says
I’m planning on making this tonight for our seder dinner – but I’m new to cooking for guests – ACK! How do I keep it warm without drying it out? I can’t really be basting the chicken through the seder? As an aside, you are my go to site for the feasts and every recipe I’ve tried has been WONDERFUL! Thank you so much!
Tori Avey says
Hi Amy! Sorry I didn’t get back to you, I was busy cooking my own Seder. 🙂 For future reference, you can keep it covered in a 200 degree oven to keep warm, or on the very lowest stovetop setting covered– but that will be hotter, so you don’t want to leave it too long on stovetop. 45 minutes should be fine though.
Joyce zinkin says
So happy I found you. Love your new, interesting recipes. Thanks
Tori Avey says
I’m happy you found me too! 🙂 Welcome!
Leah says
can i use chicken breasts in this recipe
Tori Avey says
Yes, if they are bone-in skin-on, but the cook time won’t take as long. You don’t want to overcook breast meat or it will become dry. I would start checking them for doneness around 30-35 minutes.
Teri says
I just found this recipe today while I was searching for recipes using dill. (I have a dill plant going absolutely bonkers). It was delicious. I used only a small pinch of cayenne because of my 3 year old, but I think I’ll use a bit more next time. Everyone gobbled it up! Thanks for a quick yet super flavorful dish!
Patricia says
I really wanted to like this one because my husband loves dill. But it came out rather bland. I have to say thought that this is the first recipe from Tori that I wasn’t in love with. I like her cooking so much that every Friday night now I am making a new dish from here. So far, everybody raved about the food.
Melanie says
Wow. This was truly one of the best dishes I’ve ever made! I made a few tweaks… My local market was out of fresh turmeric so I decided to not hunt for it, and used a dash of paprika (even though I know they’re nothing alike!).
I used stock instead of broth, and added a tablespoon of butter to the sauce, because honestly I just really love butter.
I would not have imagined such a simple recipe could have so much flavor. My hubby caught me licking the sauce spoon after dinner was done. Let me mention I am also pregnant haha.
I’ve shared this with family already, it’s indeed a winner! Thanks so much!
Stan says
Hi, Could I omit the turmeric or sub in some alternate spice? It’s hard to find in my market. Thank you.
Tori Avey says
Hi Stan, there is no great sub for turmeric unless you can get your hands on some high quality (expensive) saffron threads. If you can, add a generous pinch to the pot– better yet, grind the threads in a mortar and pestle, then sprinkle them into the pot. If not, then just omit, however note that it will not be the same flavor that was intended and will taste more like a simple chicken soup-flavored dish than anything else.
michelle straton says
costco carries it! $2.99 for a larger bottle! 🙂
rachel good says
Amazing g!!
Jonathan says
Tori, I am a culinary entertainer from DC. I rarely cook from recipes. This is the first one I’ve cooked to the directions in a couple of years. It’s delicious and the pinch of cayenne is perfect! Thank you.
Tori Avey says
Very happy you enjoyed it Jonathan!
Suzanne says
I make this chicken for all my guests and it is always a hit! And it plates beautifully!
Dalulah says
I too would buy your cookbook– in a heart beat. Thank you for all the love you put in your dishes. May you continue being blessed and successful.
Ellie says
I love dill! So I was excited to try this recipe- and it was amazing! Easy to prepare, and just soooo yummy! I’ve tried two recipes so far and have yet to be disappointed.
Tori Avey says
So pleased you enjoyed it Ellie!
Becky says
Oops, forgot to say I cut the chicken up. (Above)
Becky says
I made this chicken today. Used what I had on hand ( whole chicken, 1 1/2 tsp. dried dill) it was awesome, loved the kick of the cayenne. My husband also loved it. Will definatly add this to my recipe box. Served it with mashed potatoes and beets. Thanks Tory.
Tori Avey says
Great Becky!