Butter Basted Chicken Recipe

Prep the chicken

Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes (or refrigerate up to 2 hours, then bring back to room temp 20 minutes before cooking).

Heat pan and sear

Preheat a large ovenproof skillet (cast-iron preferred) over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering but not smoking. Place chicken thighs skin-side down, pressing gently to ensure even contact. Sear without moving until the skin is deep golden-brown and releases easily, about 6–8 minutes.

Render and crisp skin

Tilt the pan slightly; spoon out excess fat if the pan is smoking, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Continue to cook skin-side down a couple more minutes if needed to get crispness. Flip the thighs so they sit skin-side up.

Add butter, aromatics and baste

Reduce heat to medium. Push the chicken to the side and add 4 tablespoons of the butter, the smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary to the pan. When butter melts and foams, tilt the pan and use a large spoon to baste the butter, garlic and herbs over the chicken repeatedly for 1–2 minutes to infuse flavor.

Deglaze and combine

Carefully pour the chicken broth and the juice of half the lemon into the pan to deglaze, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in pieces so it melts into the sauce. Spoon sauce over the chicken once more.

Finish in the oven

Transfer the skillet to a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C). Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C), about 12–18 minutes depending on thigh size. Baste once or twice during roasting with the pan juices.

Rest and sauce

Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer chicken to a plate. Tent loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the skillet on the stovetop over low heat and simmer the pan sauce for 1–2 minutes to slightly reduce and thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.

Serve

Return chicken to the skillet or arrange on a serving platter, spoon the buttery pan sauce and roasted garlic over the thighs. Sprinkle chopped parsley and squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.