Quick, Easy, Delicious, Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Thighs (0r breasts?)

[Omegaman 3.0]

Edit, I started this post about chicken breasts in July of 2019, now it is about thighs!

I would not say this is my favorite recipe, a title like that means each poster can only post one recipe here, so I am compromising with good recipes, not favorites, forgive me!

I love chicken thighs, they are delicious, inexpensive, and easy to cook. However, I have been making changes in my diet lately, trying to find my way to better nutrition and health, through what I eat.

Enter the chicken breast, not the thigh. Part of the reason for the breast, is that is not a fatty as the thigh. However, this makes the meat seem a bit dryer, not as juicy. The fat is also, not so good for one. A lot of chicken recipes call for brineing or marinating. This practice does kick the flavor up a notch. My issues with high blood pressure, motivate me to be cautious with this practice, especially when salt is involved.

Now, I am trying to re-think how I do chicken. I love it fried, but I want to get away from that, because again, it is not as healthy, and it can be messy and time consuming.

Now I think that the best part of the chicken is the skin. That is where the real flavor is. I am more and more, avoiding chicken skin, again for health reasons. This is largely because of the fat in the skin. So, I have elected to go skinless.

So, what about the boneless part? You pay more for boneless (filets) per pound, but I find if you consider that when you buy "normal" chicken breasts, that the price per pound of actually meat is comparable, so why do I want to pay for bones that I am not going to eat? I don't. So boneless, skinless chicken breasts it is.

Before I forget, there are a couple of other reasons to go boneless. It is a little easier to get the meat cooked evenly and more quickly. Also, if one cares to go to the trouble, one can pound the meat out a bit, making the thickness more uniform (also contributing to even, quick cooking, and also making the meat more tender. When done with a tenderizing hammer you can get the spices you use into the meat more thoroughly. Finally, if you have a cat, having no bones, means no bones to throw away. My cats WILL find chicken bones. The will go into the kitchen trash can to find them and get them, even if they bones are covered and hidden. They are really good at it, and persistent. The are even smart enough to wait for me to fall asleep first. They do not go into the trash for any other food.

 

Edit: Shame on me, the above was written in the middle of last year, and I never finished it! The only reason I discovered this, was because I decided to do some boneless, skinless chicken thighs tonight, and I thought I would add the recipe here! What a goof ball I am!

Well, tonight's version of chicken thighs follows:

Take your boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Set your oven to 400 degrees

Using a rimmed baking sheet (I recommend using aluminum foil on it for easy clean up) so that the chicken can sit in it's own juices.

This time I have used 6 chicken thighs (usually I do 8). Lay the chicken pieces on the tray.

Next I want to coat the chicken pieces with olive oil. It should take no more that 2 tablespoon's worth. You can use spray olive oil, it is easier to use, but drizzling the liquid oil on works fine also. I rub the oil into the chicken, but I am not sure one needs to, but it works that way for sure. Then you sprinkle seasoning mix on the pieces, as you see in the following image, more about the seasoning in a moment.

In a small bowl,  put in 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of black pepper (fresh ground is better), 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of onion powder, if you are not trying to live salt free, then you can add 2 teaspoons of salt (or use salt substitute, but it does not taste as good). I like to add a teaspoon of paprika but that is mostly for appearance, though it helps you see where the seasoning is for a more even coating. I use smoked paprika, for some added flavor.

By now, your oven is to temperature, Put the sheet of chicken on the middle rack of your oven and close the door. Your chicken will be done, in about 40 minutes, could be 5 minutes less, or 5 minutes longer, it is best to use a thermometer to insure that the internal temperature of the chicken is at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 

If you do not have a thermometer, you really should get one. That way you know when the food is done, safe to eat and not overcooked, juicy and tender. Once your 40 minutes are up, or your chicken is up to temperature, you can remove the tray from the oven.

You can cut into the chicken to see that it is not pink, and the juice runs out clear. Otherwise, your chicken is under-cooked.

Now, if you want to make it extra special, take a can of cream of mushroom soup, dilute it with milk or milk substitute until it is of a thick, sauce consistency, and smother the chicken with that. Even better, saute some mushroom slices in butter and garlic powder, or garlic salt ( but don't overdo the salt or it tastes nasty in my opinion) and add them to the sauce.

I suggest serving the chicken with some vegetables, prepared to your taste, and some mashed potatoes or dumplins.

Pray and enjoy God's blessings with gratitude!

Edit: Well, they cooked perfectly, but they came out on the bland side. So, I am going to leave this post intact, but will at a later time, revise the seasonings to make the chicken more interesting. At least the snow peas, carrots, broccoli, and grape tomatoes I had with this were tasty. The mushroom soup/sauce, would have totally rescued these. 'til next time, bye for now!