Mediterranean Chicken Thighs

Chicken is one of the most common family meals to have and make, yet chicken can be boring! It can be dry, lack flavor, not exciting. Am I right? I have felt this way most of my life, until I started experimenting with chicken again. The first tip is to buy chicken thighs, not chicken breasts. Chicken things are more tender, juicer and have more flavor than chicken breast. Bone-in, skin-on will give you even more flavor, however I find skinless and boneless work perfectly well (and has less calories/fat), as long as you season and marinate the chicken properly.

This mediterranean style is a one-pot meal with tons of flavors, and is a crowd pleaser. Even if it’s just your family. The thighs, which are first seared in a pan, are then transferred to a casserole dish lined with fresh lemon slices. Surrounded with fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, artichokes and kalamata olives, with lots of garlic, white wine and more lemon, it’s packed with mediterranean flavor. I like to sometimes top it off with crumbled feta 1 minute before removing it from the oven for a little more savor.

The great thing is you don’t have to make any side dishes because you have the tomatoes and artichokes cooking around the chicken, infusing delicious flavor. Who doesn’t love a one-pot meal? The chicken turns out juicy and full of flavor and is a dish you can pocket and make year long.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN THIGHS

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 whole lemons sliced
1 pint of cherry tomatoes on the vine
A dozen whole baby artichokes (from a jar, marinated and charred)
½ cup of pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of onion powder
1 to 2 tablespoons of herbs de Provence
Salt & pepper
Fresh oregano leaves (about 2 teaspoons)
Fresh thyme (about 2 teaspoons)
Fresh rosemary springs (about 5 springs)
The zest of two lemons
¼ cup of white wine
Olive oil

Start by lining a large casserole dish with lemon slices, covering the bottom. The casserole dish should be lightly coated in olive oil before placing the lemon slices down. Set aside. Season your chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then the rest of the dried herbs: garlic powder, onion powder and herbs de Provence. Do this on one side, then flip and do the other side.

Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil over medium high heat. Once warmed, add your chicken thighs and let cook for about 5 minutes until browned but not cooked on the inside. Flip the chicken thighs and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken thighs to the casserole dish, on top of the lemon slices. Pour the white wine and lemon zest over the chicken. Next add your dried herbs: oregano, thyme and rosemary. Lastly add the tomatoes, olives and artichokes; sprinkling evenly all around the chicken and one last drizzle of good quality olive oil.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes until cooked through and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees. Make sure you use a meat thermometer to check the temperature at the center and thickest part of the chicken. This is where it should read 165, and then it’s ready!