chicken thighs | onedadskitchen

Fun with Chicken – Citrus-Marinated Chicken Thighs

I think chicken thighs have so much more flavor than your standard boneless chicken breast. Of course there is more fat in the thigh, but that does help to get some flavor and you can always take the skin off or buy skinless. Chicken thighs are generally a lot cheaper to buy also and I very often buy a large pack of bone-in chicken thighs so we always have some in the freezer to use for a quick meal. Such was the case last night when I wanted something simple to make for dinner and had taken some thighs out the day before. I decided I wanted to try this simple recipe from Bon Appetit for a citrus marinated chicken thighs. it has just a few ingredients and the prep work and cooking can all be done in under and hour so you can have dinner on the table quickly.

Citrus-Marinated Chicken Thighs

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems only

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

Set aside 1/4 cup of the sliced scallions for later in the recipe. Pulse the cilantro, garlic, lime zest, orange zest, lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce, vegetable oil, kosher salt and the remaining sliced scallions in a food processor or blender until a coarse puree has formed. Set aside 1/4 cup of the marinade for later use. Place the remaining marinade in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken thighs, seal the bag, and turn the bag to coat the chicken well. Chill the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken, skin side down, on a foil lined broiler-safe baking sheet. Discard the marinade. Broil the chicken pieces until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue to broil it skin side up until it is cooked completely through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 degrees, about 12 to 15 minutes longer. Serve the chicken with the reserved marinade and the reserved sliced scallions.

You can start to marinade the chicken about 2 hours before if you want to get a bigger head start, but try not to marinade it any longer than that or the chicken will start to break down from the acids. With this recipe you get the really nice crispy skin that is perfect on a piece of chicken. You also get great flavor from the marinade with the scallions, citrus zest, citrus juices and cilantro. The marinade has a pesto look to it and has great flavor. I used some the leftover marinade on my plate to mix with the white rice I had also made to go along with the meal. I also made some corn to round out the meal. I think you could easily use this marinade on other chicken pieces if you preferred drumsticks, wings or even breasts instead of the thighs. You may have to adjust your cooking time accordingly if you use a different piece of chicken, but I think you get great flavor no matter what.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on January 10, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: bon appetit, chicken thigh recipe, chicken thighs, citrus marinade, citrus marinated chicken thighs

You Can Never Have Enough Chicken Recipes – Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots, Potatoes and Thyme

16 Oct

Okay, I know I just posted a braised chicken thighs recipe the other day, but I decided to make another one for dinner on Monday anyway because we had a lot of chicken thighs on hand and because the recipe sounded too good to let go by. I found this one from Williams-Sonoma and saw that it was simple to make and looked like it would taste great so I gave it a try. What was even better about this one is that it is basically a one pot meal so you have everything together in one dish for easy preparation and clean up.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots, Potatoes and Thyme

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Sweet paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 pound red-skinned potatoes, quartered

8 carrots, halved lengthwise and then cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour

1 1/3 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and then generously with paprika. In a heavy large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the onion to the frying pan and stir. Add the potato quarters and the carrots. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper and saute them until the vegetables are beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the flour mix and stir the vegetables to coat them well. Gradually mix in the broth and vermouth or wine, stirring as you add the liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to stir frequently. Return the chicken to the pan and bring everything to a boil.

Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through, stirring and turning the chicken occasionally, about 25 minutes. Mix in the thyme. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide the chicken and vegetables among 4 warmed plates and serve.

I did make a couple of substitutions in this recipe. i did not have any red potatoes on hand, so I used some Yukon Gold potatoes instead and I think they turned out just as well. Also, I rarely use wine or vermouth when cooking unless I think it will really make a difference, so I just used chicken broth where the recipe called for the wine and I think it turned out quite well. You can also use gluten-free flour where the flour is called for in this recipe if you want to make it a gluten-free meal. One thing to consider when trying to make gluten-free is that if you are using store-bought broth, check the ingredients to make sure there is no flour or other gluten products in the broth; many broths do use them so you want to be sure. I loved the sauce that went with the chicken in this meal and the paprika gave the chicken great flavor with a little bit of a kick to it. The whole meal was done in under 40 minutes, which made it even better.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again to see some more recipes. I promise, I am making other things this week besides braised chicken thighs. I have a couple of new recipes I am trying out tonight, so check for those in the coming days. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on October 16, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Poultry

Tags: braised chicken, braised chicken thighs, braised chicken thighs with carrots potatoes and thyme, chicken thighs, one pot meals, williams-sonoma

Spicing Up a Dreary Tuesday with Chicken, Red Beans and Andouille

04 Dec

Ever since I saw this recipe in the New York Times last week I have wanted to try it, and I finally got to the store and got the red beans and some Andouille sausage to make it. It’s a pretty simple recipe and I think you could probably even adapt it to be made in the slow cooker if you wanted to do it that way so it would be ready for you when you got home from work.

Spicy Red Beans with Chicken Thighs and Andouille

1 pound red beans, soaked overnight or quick-soaked, then drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 bone-in chicken thighs

1 pound andouille sausage (or linguica, or other sausage you like), sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 onion, sliced

1/2 bell pepper (your choice of color), seeded and roughly chopped

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons file powder (optional)

2 to 3 teaspoons red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. Add the chicken thighs and brown well, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the thighs, add the sausage to the pot and brown well, another 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the thighs and sausage back into the pot along with the beans, the file powder (if using), the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and enough water to cover everything. Stir well and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the beans are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking every 30 minutes or so after the first hour and adding water as needed if all the liquid has been absorbed.

That’s all there is to it. It has a nice, spicy, fragrant smell and the chicken and sausage go great with the beans. You could easily add some rice to this dish to round it all out. Throw in a side vegetable or a salad, and you are all good to go.

It’s just a quick little recipe for today. I have a few other recipes lined to try later in the week, including a new recipe for a banana cream pie, some banana cupcakes, and of course a few entrees along the way. I have lots of fish in the freezer right now, so I’ll be doing some fish recipes in the very near future if you want to check back for that. I also have a couple of special recipes for my own upcoming birthday meal next week if you want to see what we’ll be making for that. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 4, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sausage

Tags: andouille sausage, chicken thighs, new york times, red beans, spicy red beans with chicken thighs and andouille

Time For Some Roman-Style Chicken

31 Oct

I had seen this recipe on Food Network a week or two ago and had been planning to cook it since then but I haven’t had the opportunity to do it until tonight. It is a recipe from Giada de Laurentiis for Roman-Style Chicken. It looked pretty good when she was making it and it certainly didn’t look difficult to do, so since I had everything in the house tonight, I thought I would give it a shot, and I am glad I did.

Roman-Style Chicken

4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Season the chicken with a 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until it is browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If you are serving the meal immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If you are making this ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

I did make a minor change to the recipe. Since I didn’t have prosciutto, I used a couple of slices of bacon in its place and it turned out just fine. I also used only chicken thighs for the recipe, mainly because that is what I had on hand and ready to cook. I think it would turn out great with any chicken parts you decided to use. You get a great sauce from the tomatoes, stock and wine that goes well with some rice or potatoes. It’s a quick and simple recipe to make for a weeknight dinner any time you are looking for something to do with some chicken.

That’s it for tonight. I’m not sure what I am going to make tomorrow night. I have a number of choices on hand with some shrimp, some pork chops and even some boneless leg of lamb, which I think I will save for the weekend. We’ll have to wait and see what I can come up with for tomorrow.

Hopefully everyone who had to deal with Hurricane Sandy is okay and you have been able to start some kind of clean up and recovery from whatever effects you may have incurred. We were lucky in that we never lost power here and really only had to deal with very high winds. There is lots of debris down in the area and many people here lost power and their phones. The schools have been closed all week as well, but hopefully by next week everything will start to restore itself to some normalcy. Thank goodness for all the responders and help that so many people have been able to benefit from. I am not sure where New York and New Jersey would be without them.

Until next time, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on October 31, 2012 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry

Tags: chicken thighs, food network, giada de laurentiis, Roman-style chicken

A Tuesday Trinidadian Chicken Stew

06 Mar

Today’s dinner is a simple, one pot dinner I saw on the Food Network. Giada De Laurentiis made this on her show, and it looked pretty tasty and very easy to make, so I thought I would give it a try. There aren’t a lot of ingredients to this one, so you might be able to make this with what you already have in the house.

Trinidadian Chicken Stew

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, halved

4 small, skinless bone-in chicken thighs

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

4 whole peeled canned tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups water

In a heavy bottomed 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally until very dark, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken pieces, ginger, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the chicken is brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme, 2 tablespoons of parsley, carrots, potatoes and hot water. Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with the remaining parsley.

And that’s all there is to it. I can tell you it smells wonderful as it is cooking (it’s cooking right now actually). It also makes for easy clean up, which I love, and good leftovers for lunch the next day.

It’s a quick post today since it’s a quick dinner. Tomorrow I’ll be making hamburgers, at Sean’s request. I’ve made them before and posted my method for making them, but I’ll do it again. This time we are making some Oven Fries and Oven-Fried Onion Rings with the burgers, so check back tomorrow to see the recipes for everything. Until then, have a great evening and enjoy your meal!