Learn how to make succulent baked chicken with special green sauce. This emerald sauce is made with multiple herbs, garlic, mustard and seasonings blended until smooth. It's super fragrant and flavourful and can be used with more than just the chicken. This recipe is Whole30, paleo, keto/low-carb friendly.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs skin on, bone-in, see notes for alternatives
For the green sauce
- A handful of celery leaves
- A handful of coriander/cilantro leaves
- A handful of parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon of oregano leaves
- A handful of basil leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic roughly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- Juice of 1/2 large lemon plus extra for serving
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. I leave the flat oven tray in the oven to heat up as well.
- Place the green sauce ingredients in a small blender or a food processor. Whiz up for a minute, processing into smooth, thick sauce. Scrape the sides half way through. Alternatively, you can chop all the ingredients very finely and mix the marinade by hand.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sauce in a small bowl and pour the rest over the chicken thighs. Mix well, making sure the pieces are evenly coated.
- Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil in the preheated, large, flat oven tray or a sheet pan. Place the chicken pieces, skin side down, on the tray and scoop any remaining marinade from the chicken bowl on top of the pieces (not the reserved sauce, as we’re using it right at the end). Sprinkle the chicken with a little more sea salt. Place the oven tray in the oven, middle shelf, and bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes rotate the tray (not the chicken) to ensure even cooking. Turn the oven down to 180 C / 380 F. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes. After 6 minutes, remove the tray and turn the pieces over, placing them skin side up. Then back in the oven for the final 10 minutes.
- Remove the cooked chicken to a plate, facing them skin side up (or whichever way you like). Scoop a teaspoon of the reserved green sauce on top of each piece and garnish with a fresh herb leaf, if you like. Serve with extra lemon on the side.
Notes
- I am using chicken thighs with skin on and bone in but you can easily use chicken thighs without the bone and without the skin. If the thighs don't have the bone in, they will need a little less time to cook. Similarly, you can use chicken breasts or turkey steaks. Pork steaks or fish fillets would also work well. You will need less cooking time for those.
- You can use any fresh herbs you like. I prefer to use 'soft' herbs like basil, parsley, coriander and so on, rather than 'hardy' herbs like rosemary, sage or thyme. Celery leaf is a flavourful addition and a great way to use up the whole celery. Rocket or spinach can also be added. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to a week. If there are some herbs that you don't have as fresh but you have them dry, you can use that instead but the colour might not be as vibrant green.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 thighs with sauce | Calories: 795kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 283mg | Sodium: 820mg | Potassium: 623mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 406IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
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