Lemon butter chicken

I have a confession to make…hello, I am an RD (Registered Dietitian), and I like dark meat. I also like the skin when it’s cooked perfectly crispy. And yet, I have not had great luck with boneless chicken thighs (see chicken quinoa soup, though I have also stopped trying to convince myself that I like quinoa!). I don’t know if it was the bone, or the skin, or the roasting, but these chicken thighs were “damn delicious!” I have to say, I was pretty impressed with myself, and I am already looking forward to my leftovers.

I made some adaptations, mainly decreasing the butter and increasing the spinach. I think the sauce got a bit too liquid-y because I used a whole container (5 ounces) of baby spinach, so next time I would probably decrease the amount of broth. I think it would be tasty with mushrooms too, or grape tomatoes…so many options! With very little prep needed, this might just become my new go-to weeknight meal.

Roast chicken thighs with some perfectly crispy skin

Lemon butter chicken
Serves: 3-4
Source: adapted from Damn Delicious

Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Smoked paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
Juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
5 ounces baby spinach

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Season both sides of chicken thighs with paprika, salt, and pepper.

3. Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.

4. To the same pan, add garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently. Stir in chicken broth, cream, Romano, lemon juice, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir in spinach. Simmer until spinach has wilted and sauce has slightly thickened, 6-8 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet.

5. Place skillet in the oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.