So, over the past year or so I have become obsessed with chicken thighs - mostly because they're always flavorful, and unlike a chicken breast they're never dry! This recipe is so simple and classic it can be used in millions of different ways. I like to serve mine with rice or roasted potatoes and a simple arugula salad on the side. It would also be great with pasta, or shredded in a salad, or whatever your heart desires!
Herb Roasted Chicken
Serves 4-6
6 Bone in, skin on, chicken thighs
4 Tablespoons softened butter
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
1 Tablespoon chopped thyme
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
To make your chicken, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lay the 6 chicken thighs in a 9x13 pan and season with salt. Next, make your butter herb rub. Put the softened butter in a bowl and combine with the 3 herbs and some salt and pepper, mash with a fork until well combined. Smear the butter mixture across the top of the 6 chicken thighs and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the skin is browned and the chicken juices run clear. To get the skin extra crispy, when my chicken finishes baking I throw it under the broiler for about 5 minutes to get that pretty brown color.
Aww, look how delicious and juicy that thigh looks! I have to say, the chicken is great, but my favorite part of this dish is the buttery, lemony sauce. I love to pour it all over my rice as well as the chicken. I could probably just eat it with a spoon!
Lemon Butter Sauce
1 Cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon cornstarch with equal parts water
3 Tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper
Sprinkle of herb mix (above)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Start your sauce when the chicken is close to being finished. Pour chicken broth into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, add the cornstarch slurry (mix cornstarch with equal parts water before adding to broth, to avoid lumps). Whisk well while adding a tablespoon of your butter and let the sauce boil for 2-5 minutes until you can see it's beginning to thicken. Add your last 2 tablespoons butter, and whisk until combined. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but not as thick as gravy. Turn off the heat and add in your herbs (same as chicken mixture), and salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, a nice big squeeze of lemon juice. Mix and serve immediately over chicken thighs.
I served this with basmati rice cooked in chicken broth for added flavor. It's simply 1 cup rice to 2 cups chicken broth and a pat of butter, bring to a boil and then cover and cook for 20 minutes on low heat.
There you have it, a simple yummy dinner easy enough for everyday, but pretty enough for company, enjoy!