Monday, January 17, 2011

Herb Crusted Chicken Thighs

Speaking of thighs... mine are toast! Anyone else feeling those 45 cleans today?
This was an easy, comforting dinner, full of flavor, and made my kids happy... which was just what I needed tonight. Finger lickin' Paleo friendly faux-fried chicken thighs! A great meal for a tired cook and a hungry family! Hope you enjoy.

Recipe:
8 chicken thighs, with bone (with skin or without)
2 T olive oil
2 T dijon mustard
1/2 C almond meal
2 T dried parsley flakes
1 T dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp black pepper
pinch sea salt
dash cayenne pepper
dash paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Combine olive oil and mustard in a shallow dish and set aside. In another shallow dish combine almond meal and remaining spices. After 15 minutes remove chicken thighs from oven. Turn temperature to broil and put baking rack about 6 inches from heat. Brush one side of the chicken thighs with mustard/olive oil mixture. Sprinkle with almond meal/spice mixture and broil until nicely browned (about 5 minutes). Turn chicken thighs over, brush remaining mustard/olive oil mixture over chicken thighs, season with more almond meal spices and broil again...until golden brown. Should be crispy & flavorful! Enjoy with your choice of vegetable side.

My kids LOVED this! Hope you will, too!

13 comments:

  1. We never have good luck with the almond crusts... but this looks so tasty that I'm tempted to give it a try!

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  2. Miriam, I think the broiling really helps in this recipe. And keeping the chicken lightly dusted with the almond meal (not too thick). Hope you have better success! :-)

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  3. I make my chicken thighs by rubbing them with olive oil and then pressing parmesan cheese on them. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes and they are crusty brown and delicious. You can even use the cheaper Kraft parmesan and it's still great. Of course, be sure to use the thighs with skin ON!

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  4. Do you keep the chicken in the baking dish while you broil it, or transfer them to something else - like a baking sheet? I haven't broiled anything in my baking dishes which is why I ask.

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  5. Hi Emily,
    Yes, I kept the chicken in the baking dish. But do make sure you have a good 6 inches between the baking dish and the broiler.
    Thanks!

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  6. I just had to come back and say this recipe is awesome! I couldn't stop eating it and had some for breakfast after CF yesterday and today. Can't wait to make this again, and I want to keep it under the broiler just a little bit longer so it's crispier than my first attempt.

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  7. Oooh, grain-free shake-and-bake. These look great!

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  8. I followed your recipe exactly and it turned out SO awesome! Thank you!

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  9. Hi Kelly! I train at CrossFit Littleton in Colorado, and am absolutely loving your recipes! With your permission, I would like to share some of them with the members at our gym. I will certainly give you ALL the credit! Thanks!

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  10. Absolutely, Corene! I would love it! Thank you!

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  11. This really looked like a good one, but I was worried about the long broiling time. I made sure I had at least 6" from broiler but by 3 minutes, the almond was burning. I turned over and broiled other side and the same thing happened. I took it out but the inside was not cooked - still rawish. Not sure what happened. :/

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  12. Hi Teresa, I would maybe bake the chicken a little longer next time (until the inside is no longer pink) before broiling it. I baked it first for at least 15 minutes. If it's burning under the broiler... maybe add more distance between the chicken and the broiler. The idea is to just get it kind of crispy. Good luck!
    Thanks!

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