Preheat your oven to 425°F and arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up in a large baking dish. This height matters—skin needs direct heat to develop a slight color that signals the meat underneath is cooking through properly.

Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, honey, and smoked paprika in a small bowl until the honey dissolves. I pour half the marinade over the chicken and reserve the rest for basting—this keeps flavor building throughout roasting instead of burning off early.

Pour the reserved marinade around (not over) the chicken thighs, then add chicken broth to the bottom of the dish. The broth prevents the pan from scorching and creates steam that keeps meat tender. This is the mistake I made the first time—skipping the broth made cleanup harder and chicken tougher.

Roast for 25 minutes at 425°F, then reduce heat to 375°F and roast another 12–15 minutes until the thickest part of the largest thigh registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Sandra prefers checking the temperature at the bone since that's the last place to cook—it gives you confidence the meat is actually done.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Resting redistributes juices back into the meat instead of pooling on your plate. This step separates a crowd lemon herb chicken that falls apart from one that stays firm and flavorless.

Spoon the pan drippings (now a light glaze with herbs floating through it) over each thigh just before plating. The glaze coats each piece and delivers all the flavor that collected at the bottom—don't skip this final step.