One-pot lemon and thyme chicken recipe

Name: One-pot lemon and thyme chicken
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 8 chicken thighs, skin on; 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve; 1 small squash, cut into 2.5cm cubes; 1 white onion, diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed; 1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped; 1 lemon, zested and juiced; 2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked; 1 courgette, trimmed and cut into 5mm cubes; 1 green pepper, seeded and cut into 5mm cubes; handful spinach; 100g couscous; 250ml chicken stock; bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 2 tbsp pine nuts (optional)

Packed with tender squash, salty capers and fragrant thyme, this easy one-pot chicken and couscous recipe can be prepared in under an hour and makes a simple and delicious midweek meal for the family.

See method

Serves 4
15 mins to prepare and 40 mins to cook
756 calories / serving

Shop your ingredients

Tesco British Chicken Thigh Fillets 1Kg
8 chicken thighs, skin on
£7.25
£7.25/kg
Tesco Olive Oil 250Ml
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
£3.10
£12.40/litre
Tesco Butternut Squash Each
£1.00 Save 1/3 Clubcard Price
(£1.00/each)
Offer valid for delivery from 06/10/2026 until 19/10/2026
1 small squash, cut into 2.5cm cubes
£1.50
£1.50/each
Tesco Brown Onions Loose
1 white onion, diced
£0.11
£0.95/kg
Tesco Garlic 4 Pack
Aldi Price Match
2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
£0.87
£0.22/each
Tesco Capers 190G
1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
£2.30
£19.17/kg DR.WT
Tesco Lemons Each
1 lemon, zested and juiced
£0.37
£0.37/each
Tesco Fresh Cut Thyme 20G
Aldi Price Match
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
£0.50
£25.00/kg
Tesco Courgettes Loose
Aldi Price Match
1 courgette, trimmed and cut into 5mm cubes
£0.56
£2.78/kg
Tesco Green Peppers Each
This product's currently out of stock
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into 5mm cubes
Fresh & Naked Spinach 125G
£1.00 Clubcard Price
(£8.00/kg)
Offer valid for delivery from 25/08/2026 until 19/10/2026
handful spinach
£1.20
£9.60/kg
Tesco Mediterranean Style Couscous 110G
100g couscous
£0.75
£6.82/kg
Tesco Finest Chicken Stock 450Ml
250ml chicken stock
£2.60
£5.78/litre
Tesco Fresh Cut Flat Leaf Parsley 30G
Aldi Price Match
bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
£0.50
£16.67/kg
Tesco Wholefoods Pine Nuts 100G
2 tbsp pine nuts (optional)
£3.95
£39.50/kg

Method

Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180ºC. Season the chicken thighs.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan over a medium-high heat for 1 min, then add the chicken, skin-side down. Cook for 5 mins until golden brown, then turn. Add the squash and cook for another 10 mins, stirring frequently, until the squash is golden brown. Add the onion and garlic, along with the capers, lemon zest and thyme leaves.
Put the pan in the oven for 10 mins to bake, then remove and add the courgette, pepper, spinach, couscous, lemon juice and the chicken stock. Return the pan to the oven for 10 mins, or until the couscous has absorbed most of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through with no pink meat remaining.
Remove the pan from the oven and scatter over the parsley and pine nuts, if using. Drizzle over a little extra olive oil to serve.