Baked Chicken Thighs

Simple ingredients. Things we always have on hand (chicken thighs in the freezer from Costco, garlic and shallots–check). When we cook chicken thighs for dinner we usually cook them in the skillet with just salt and pepper. We remove the skin from the chicken too. So this recipe was a little different than the norm.

Baked Chicken Thighs

from The Food Lover’s Primal Palate

Ingredients:

• 4 free range bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Process:

1. Preheat oven to bake at 425.
2. Rinse chicken thighs under cold water and place in a broiler pan.
3. Pat thighs dry with a paper towel.
4. Gently separate skin from thigh, without removing it completely from the meat at the corners.
5. Place shallots and garlic on the meat, and cover with the skin.
6. Lightly rub olive oil on the skin, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until juices run clear.

It was super quick to make this. We did it for lunch one day on the weekend and it was easy and satisfying. My body also loved the protein after my intense workout! The chicken was washed and then dried. I chopped the shallots and the garlic and stuffed them underneath the skin.

I didn’t measure anything I just chopped and then stuffed. I sprinkled salt and pepper on top of the chicken and sprinkled a little oil into the dish.

It baked for less time than the recipe called for–about 25 or 30 instead. I checked the chicken once before taking it out. It was hard to gauge when the chicken was done for some reason (maybe because the skin was still on it?).

The chicken was perfect. It wasn’t dry at all like baked chicken can sometimes be. I think because of the bone-in and the skin was still on the thigh it kept it moist. The skin was crunchy and filled with salty flavor. Normally I don’t eat the skin but it was all really good.

Sometimes when we cook chicken thighs in the skillet I add onion powder to the salt and pepper seasoning and it’s a good addition. I don’t think this recipe needs anything more than what’s here. The shallots and garlic are fantastic.

This recipe would be a fantastic dinner after a long day at work–quick and easy. Add a salad or steam some frozen veggies to go on the side and dinner is satisfying and healthy. This could also be a quickie last-minute dinner for guests. Make a pasta salad to go with it and open a bottle of white wine–perfect. 🙂

QUESTION: What’s your favorite type of chicken and how do you usually prepare it?