I spent the weekend visiting a friend -- a very special friend!! After church on Sunday we put together what ended up being a very simple, yummy (and still low-carb) meal!!
First I would like to put in a good word for chicken thighs. They are very under used -- most of us opt for breasts. Well, breasts are easy and widely available and I am guilty of getting into the breast rut BUT please use thighs too. They are flavorful and although available boneless, the bone-in adds a lot of flavor and moisture to your end product. Bonus, they tend to be less expensive than breasts. TOTALLY a win-win!! On the side was a roasting pan of roasted veggies -- onion, carrot, potato (I avoided eating those) and celery seasoned with olive oil and oregano -- PERFECT with the smokey, spicy chicken (almost tastes like it was off the grill). Really any roasted vegetable would be great on the side and can roast when the chicken is -- a time saver too!!
Spicy Roasted Lemon Chicken Thighs
8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
2 lemons, zested, juiced and cut into wedges
6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp creole seasoning
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1-1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
At least an hour before cooking and better the night before, assemble all spices and mix together in a small bowl. Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs. Coat each piece well with olive oil and spice mixture and arrange in single layer in 9x13-inch baking pan. Pour lemon juice over and scatter lemon zest, rough chopped garlic and lemon slices over chicken. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to roast. Preheat oven to 425°F and roast for 50-60 minutes. Chicken thighs will be well browned. Using a spoon, drizzle dripping over each piece several times and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve. Makes 4-8 servings.