Crispy and deliciously moist Baked Italian Chicken thighs in Salmoriglio dressing. This is a simple and quick low-carb dinner the whole family will love! 🍗 Serve with a light green leafy salad or roasted vegetables for a perfect family dinner.
Baked Italian Chicken on a white and wood platter.

Baked Italian Chicken


Italian baked chicken with salmoriglio is a delicious and flavorful dish. Featuring tender chicken, typically chicken breasts or thighs, marinated in a vibrant and zesty salmoriglio dressing and baked until golden and juicy. Salmoriglio is a traditional Southern Italian sauce made with simple but aromatic ingredients.

Why You Will Love It

Low carb and family-friendly – these roasted Italian chicken thighs are only 1g net carbs and gluten-free!

Quick and easy – what I love most about this dish is it’s a one-pot meal. Less washing up is always good in my books. It is quick to prepare and so easy to make.

Related Recipes: Italian Baked Meatballs / The BEST Italian Meatball Minestrone

Baked Italian Chicken ingredients on a peeling wood background.

The Ingredients

  • Chicken – I use skin-on thigh cutlets or whole chicken when making roasted Italian chicken. You can use boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thigh fillets as well. 
  • Italian Dressing – I use the Salmoriglio dressing in this recipe. You can use regular salad dressing in place of herbs, lemon, and olive oil.
  • Herbs – I use fresh parsley and oregano. I really don’t recommend using the dried stuff, but if you have to… Possible fresh herb substitutes are coriander/cilantro or finely chopped chives.
  • Optional extras – roasted veggies go great with the chicken. Try it with our Peperonata recipe, or grilled eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin, potatoes or cauliflower. Add some grated parmesan cheese and chicken stock for a creamy lemon butter chicken.

How to Make It

Step 1. PREHEAT – oven to 200°C fan/220°C static/425°F. Place an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter.

Step 2. BROWN – Add the garlic and chicken skin-side down. Brown the chicken on both sides.

Step 3. While the chicken is browning, make the salmoriglio sauce; place the salt flakes, oregano, parsley, lemon juice, zest, and oil into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Step 4. Turn the chicken thighs skin-side up and spoon 1 tablespoon of the sauce over each. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked at an internal temperature of 80°C/175°F. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with Italian Peperonata or Arabic Salad for delicious tasty and light keto friendly meal.

Keto Cookbooks & Ebooks

FAQs

Can I make it in the Air Fryer?

Why yes, you can! Find a baking dish that fits the fryer and place the thigh fillets in and the sauce. Bake at 190°C/375°F. Bake for 12 minutes then turn and bake for a further 6-8 or until cooked.

Can I make it with chicken breast?

Yes, you can! If you can get bone-in chicken breasts and with skin-on that would be awesome. Otherwise, chicken breast fillets will still turn out great. Pan fry until lightly golden and coat well with the dressing before baking. The recommended internal temperature for chicken breasts when baked is 74°C/165°F.

Storing

Fridge – store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freeze – can be stored as easy frozen dinners. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

Reheat – the microwave in short bursts at 30-second intervals. Alternatively, reheat in a covered heat-safe dish in the oven at 180°C until warmed through.

Herb dressing over the top of chicken thigh cutlets.

Recipes To Try Next

  1. Easy Curried Beef Mince – a simple old-fashioned Australian favourite dinner.
  2. Baked Tandoori Chicken – another simple roasted chicken dinner in a sheet pan.
  3. Italian Meatloaf – a family favourite simple comfort food at its best.
  4. Italian Chicken Limone – a delicious chicken breast in rich lemon butter sauce.
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I would love to hear how you served your Italian baked chicken thighs and what you choose to serve with it! Let us know in the comments. Happy cooking and keep an eye out for more Italian chicken recipes coming up. x

Baked Italian Chicken thighs. Overhead shot on a white platter with a sliced lemon.

Baked Italian Chicken Thighs

Crispy and deliciously moist Baked Italian Chicken thighs in Salmoriglio dressing. This is a simple and quick low-carb dinner the whole family will love! 🍗 Serve with a light green leafy salad or roasted vegetables for a perfect family dinner.
5 from 41 votes!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free
Recipe Category: Low Carb
Calories: 265kcal
Author: Megan Ellam
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) butter
  • 800 g (28 oz) chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
  • 3 cloves (3 cloves) garlic

ITALIAN LEMON OREGANO DRESSING

  • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) salt flakes
  • 5 g ( oz) fresh oregano 2 tbsp chopped, see notes
  • 1/4 cup (¼ cup) flat leaf parsley Finely chopped
  • Zest and juice of a lemon
  • 3 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

CONVENTIONAL METHOD

  • PREHEAT – oven to 200°C fan/220°C static/425°F.
  • HEAT – Place an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter.
  • BROWN – Add garlic and chicken skin-side down. Brown the chicken on both sides.
  • SAUCE – While the chicken is browning, make the sauce; place the salt flakes, oregano, parsley, lemon juice, zest, and oil into a food processor and blend until smooth, see notes.
  • ADD – Turn chicken thighs skin-side up and spoon 1 tablespoon of the sauce over each.
  • BAKE – Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through at an internal temperature of 80°C/175°F. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

THERMAL METHOD

  • PREHEAT – oven to 200°C fan/220°C static/425°F.
  • HEAT – Place an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter.
  • BROWN – Add the garlic and chicken skin-side down. Brown the chicken on both sides.
  • SAUCE – While the chicken is browning, make the sauce; place the salt flakes, oregano, parsley, lemon juice, zest, and oil into mixer; chop 10 sec/speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat until smooth. Set aside.
  • ADD – Turn the chicken thighs skin-side up and spoon 1 tablespoon of the sauce over each.
  • BAKE – Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through at an internal temperature of 80°C/175°F. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Ingredients

Chicken – I use skin-on thigh cutlets or whole chicken when making roasted Italian chicken. You could make Italian baked chicken wings (watch the cooking time) or baked Italian chicken breasts would still be incredible. If using breast fillets keep an eye on the internal temperature and coat the chicken well with the dressing.
Dressing – use the dressing recipe I have included or use a store bought one. I love all the fresh herbs, and for me, it is essential to this Italian chicken recipe.

Storing

Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively, freeze in a ziplock bag baked or in the marinade.
WAYS TO SERVE MY EASY ITALIAN BAKED CHICKEN
Here are just some of my favourite ways to serve it.
Italian Chicken Salad – serve warm (or cold) chicken with mixed leafy greens, chunky tomatoes, and diced avocados. Remove chicken from the bone, shred or dice it and fold it through the salad. Serve it with extra Salmoriglio or Chimichurri.
Sicilian Chicken Wraps – shred chicken and mix with leafy greens, grilled zucchini strips and a dollop of Basil Pesto mixed with Mayonnaise. Use our Low Carb Wrap recipe or Keto Tortillas.
Serve with cauliflower ricelemon gremolata, Taboule or air fryer green beans.
SERVING SIZES
This recipe yields approximately 4 serves. The actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. 

Your Own Notes

Nutrition

Serving: 1serve | Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 713mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 432IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg | Magnesium: 30mg | Net Carbs: 1g
Tried this recipe?Mention @meganellam or tag #madcreations!

Share This Recipe

15 responses to “Easy Baked Italian Chicken”

  1. Kristine L

    5 stars
    I am not a huge fan of Oregano I don’t like too much but this dish was absolutely delicious and I would highly recommend it as the flavours were spot on yum 🤤
    Thanks Megan

  2. 5 stars
    The Baked Italian Chicken was delicious. We used the air fryer option and it turned out great. The kids loved it too #winwin.

    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Thanks for trying the recipe and letting us know how much it was enjoyed.

  3. Lynda

    5 stars
    Delicious , moist and easy to prepare chicken is always a winner for me. The flavours are great and its perfect with veggies or a salad . I used both chicken breast and thighs with skin on and bone in and just cooked the breasts a little longer. The leftover piece was still delicious shredded and served in an omelette roll up. Looking forward to making this again.

    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed it Lynda. Thanks for testing and taking the time to leave a review.

  4. Oscar

    5 stars
    Drooling over these baked italian chicken thighs, love the addition of the lemon oregano dressing. Going to make this tonight. Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      You are very welcome.

  5. Emily

    5 stars
    I’m a sucker for a good chicken recipe, and this one did not disappoint. Added bonus that it was gluten free and I was able to feed it safely to my celiac disease family. Thank you so much for creating such an amazing recipe.

    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      You are very welcome.

  6. 5 stars
    So simple and so delicious! Thank you! The chicken was moist and rich in flavor, and so tender.
    We will make it again, we all love it.

    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Yay! Thanks for trying it and taking the time to leave a review.

  7. 5 stars
    This was a delicious and easy to make chicken dish. I usually just make a baked chicken so it was nice to add some spice and the family enjoyed it!

    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      That is so awesome!

  8. 5 stars
    We loved this recipe in our family. The chicken with dressing was a great combination, which we’re going to eat more often.

    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      That is so awesome to hear. Thanks Andrea

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