My grandparents were from Provence, so the combination of lavender and thyme is no stranger to me and has always been a favorite in the kitchen. It wasn’t until more recent years, when a friend used it on dark meat chicken in conjunction with honey, and my mind was blown. There’s just something about bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, that work so well with this flavor combo!

Lavender Thyme Chicken smells so good when it’s roasting, your mouth will be watering. Affectionately referred to as “rich people chicken,” it looks even more beautiful than it smells… and you’ll see what I mean, when you feast your eyes on the golden, crispy crust that forms. 

So why and how did lavender thyme chicken become “Rich People Chicken?” It all started when I attended an annual Blogger Brunch here in Atlanta, hosted by my friend Meghan at Donut Worry Be Healthy. I met some amazing new blogger friends that also love to eat (imagine that!) and we were sitting around, each sharing one recipe that we’d love for each other to try making. I started talking about my Lavender Thyme Chicken: “it’s SO good, and looks so delicious on a platter… wait until your dinner guests smell how amazing it is…. they’ll think you spent hours making it… it’s really super easy and is just SO yummy… it’s with lavender, and sounds and smells really fancy…” To which one friend responded jokingly, “oh, so people will think you’re rich if you make it for them?” YES. It’s rich people chicken! You’re super fancy if you make this. Just saying.

How to Make Easy Lavender Thyme Chicken

Stock up on these ingredients and stash them in your pantry! Lavender Thyme Chicken is such an easy, delicious and savory recipe, you’ll want to make it again. I buy dried, culinary-grade lavender buds here, or from a gourmet grocer (like Whole Foods) in the bulk herbs and spices section. Fresh thyme works well (double up the quantity) but for ease, I stick with dried thyme most of the time. 

I love that this Lavender Thyme Chicken recipe works great with any bone-in chicken. Whether it be bone-in thighs, drumsticks, breasts or the whole shebang – start by trimming any fat and seasoning both sides with salt and pepper. I prefer bone-in to boneless because it yields more flavor and is less prone to drying out during cooking. I love prepping poultry on this butcher tray (pictured below) and has a rim to catch any drippings. The butcher tray also fits perfectly onto a fridge shelf and I also use it to defrost meats or chicken, because the lip catches any packaging leaks as it thaws, preventing contamination in my fridge.

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If you’re hosting a dinner party, go ahead and prep the lavender, thyme, honey, lemon and oil mixture the day before. Baste the chicken in the marinade, wrap it well and let it marinate overnight in the fridge. The next day, simply transfer the pieces to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and drizzle any juices from the butcher tray, on top. Don’t cook the chicken on the butcher tray! Drizzle the Lavender Thyme Chicken with more olive oil and honey before placing it in the preheated oven, to ensure that crispy, golden crusted skin.

If you’re just throwing together a quick family dinner, it’ll be just fine to make it all the same day! Marinating overnight just allows the maximum flavor to develop.

I am very conscious of trying to never char our food and I hope you will be too. I know in America, we have this whole thing about blackened grill marks, and extra-crispy food – but guess what? Those black marks? They’re literally chemicals forming, that are carcinogenic! I don’t want you to feed that to yourself, or your littles – so please keep an eye on your food and recognize the exact point to give it a flip, a baste or lower the temperature so you get the perfect bronzed dish, without the char!