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Garlic Rosemary Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless with green beans and mashed potatoes

Garlic Rosemary Chicken Recipe - "Grandfather's Chicken"

Here is my grandfather’s chicken recipe in all its glory, to the best that I can remember.
 
I hope you enjoy this fresh rosemary chicken recipe as muchas I do.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Marinating 1 hour
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people
Calories 374 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Pyrex pan, 13x9

Ingredients
  

  • 12 Bone-in or Boneless Chicken Thighs (you may also use other cuts of chicken)
  • 14 Large Cloves of Garlic minced (one clove per piece of chicken, plus extra)
  • 1.5 tbsp Fresh Rosemary minced
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
  • 1/2 tsp Paprika (a light dusting)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt (to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper (to taste)

Instructions
 

  • Mince the garlic into small bits. You should have AT LEAST one clove per piece of chicken, plus some extra. Set aside.
    Minced Garlic on a bamboo cutting board
  • Remove rosemary leaves from the stems and mince fresh rosemary leaves into small pieces. Set aside.
    Minced Rosemary on a bamboo cutting board
  • Trim any fat from chicken thighs and place them into a gallon-sized zip-seal baggie.
    Trim fat from chicken thighs
  • Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the chicken. Close the zip-top and move the chicken around to distribute the oil across all the chicken in the bag.
    Drizzle Olive Oil on raw chicken thighs in plastic baggie
  • Next, add freshly minced garlic. You should have at least one clove per piece of chicken. Work to distribute the garlic evenly across the chicken.
    Raw Chicken Thighs Marinating with Diced Minced Garlic
  • Sprinkle in 1.5 tablespoons of freshly minced rosemary. Evenly distribute this across the chicken in the bag as well.
    Adding Rosemary to Chicken as part of the marinade along with garlic
  • Close the top and set the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate. My grandparents marinated it for just one hour before cooking. I've also left the rosemary garlic chicken thighs in the fridge to marinate for up to 24 hours! Delicious every time.
    Minced Rosemary and Garlic as a marinade for chicken in a baggie
  • After marinating, space out the chicken in a glass baking dish. Top off with more minced garlic and rosemary in any areas that look bare. (You'll be able to tell.)
    Marinated Chicken Thighs in a Glass Pan
  • Add a light sprinkling of paprika, salt, and pepper, to taste. (These are not the most important ingredients and I've made the recipe without one or the other at any given point in time.)
    Black Pepper Shaker
  • Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees, turning over once. Depending on the size of your chicken and how tightly you pack the pan, cooking times may vary. For my needs, I find that one hour is usually pretty close for chicken drumsticks and thighs.
    Check chicken with a meat thermometer. The rosemary boneless chicken thighs are done when it's lightly browned and reaches 165-170 degrees internally.
    Grandfather's Chicken - Baked Rosemary Garlic Chicken Legs and Thighs

Video

Notes

* Note: I've cooked the chicken at 375 degrees and also at 400 degrees. However you usually prefer to cook chicken thighs is just fine. They should brown a bit as they finish cooking. 
I share this recipe with a warm yet heavy heart because we lost my grandmother, my last living grandparent, on January 10, 2022. I’m so grateful we had her as long as we did! I hope those 92½ genes are coursing through my veins, too.
As many times as I’ve tried making this garlic rosemary chicken, no matter what I do, it is never even close to as good as the real thing. 
And I know this is because–the secret ingredient is Love. And I do always put love into my own meals and recipes, but there’s just something very different about eating food that was made for you with love.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Rosemary
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Rosemary
So, please make this rosemary garlic roasted chicken recipe for someone you love!
I spent two days making this recipe and about a full week working on the post, and probably sent my dad 30 texts, double-checking on things, because this chicken is that important to me.
If you have any feedback or reviews, please kindly share them in the comments and I will do my best to make any updates or answer any questions.
I want you to love this chicken as much as I do!
Keyword chicken, family recipe, garlic, rosemary, Sunday dinner