- Hey, hey! Taylor here from The Girl on Bloor blog
hitting you with perfect baked chicken thighs, two ways.
This recipe for the perfect baked chicken thighs
shows you how to cook juicy chicken,
whether you're using boneless skinless
or bone-in skin-on chicken thighs.
The spice blend is versatile and delicious too
so you can rest assured knowing that you are cooking chicken
you'll be able to enjoy as meal prep for the week.
So this is one of the most popular recipes on my site.
If you've ever visited the blog before, you know
that I focus on all things healthy eating and meal prep.
Meal prepping for the week ahead
really is crucial in reducing a ton of stress
and allowing you to feel at ease during the work week
by knowing exactly what you're going to eat and when.
Now I know a lot of people associate chicken breasts
with a lot of meal prep recipes,
when in fact chicken thighs are the better cut.
They are just so much more delicious and they never dry out.
Even if you're cooking boneless skinless thighs.
Dark meat chicken gets a bad rap
for being fatty and artery clogging, but like avocados,
it's actually high in healthy monounsaturated fats.
You may be surprised to find out that one 100-gram serving
of chicken thighs contains about 200 calories
and 26 grams of protein, which makes it a great choice
in terms of providing enough protein
to keep you feeling full for longer.
You're only adding about 35 calories,
and the protein count is comparable to chicken breasts,
so chicken thighs aren't as bad
of a choice as people often make them out to be.
Anyway, all of this to say, I'm here to help you learn
how to make the best baked chicken thighs
with the tastiest spice rub.
And it is so easy,
you just don't have an excuse not to try them.
The chicken goes great with just about any side dish
and you can also meal prep them for salads,
soups, stir fries, pastas, and any other dish
you're going to whip up during the week.
So buckle yourself in for one delicious ride.
Okay, so we're going to start with the spice rub first.
I've got five easy chicken thigh marinades up on the blog,
and I've linked to that post below this video,
in case you are looking to change the flavors up.
I've got balsamic, Greek, honey Dijon, honey garlic,
and chipotle marinades ready for you to peruse,
so if this spice rub isn't working for you,
you've got other options.
Now, back to my spice rub because it's delicious
and works with just about any dish.
You're going to add onion powder, salt and pepper,
paprika, and garlic powder to a small bowl.
You can make up about as little
or as much of this seasoning as you want.
It also tastes really great with other cuts of chicken
such as wings or chicken breasts,
and would taste really good with some lean cuts of pork too.
It's kind of similar to seasoning salt
if you've ever had that, but it's way healthier
because you aren't relying on a store-bought
processed seasoning packet.
Besides you should already have those spices
on hand at home.
They are core seasonings that taste great with anything.
Once your spice rub is made up,
you're going to add it to your chicken thighs.
Now here's the magic question, which type of thighs to use?
Bone-in skin-on or boneless skinless?
My personal preference is boneless skinless
because they take way less time to cook
and they still end up being super juicy and tasty.
Plus they're easier to thinly slice and use in salads
or shred and use in soups, stews, curries, et cetera.
So they're just my number one choice.
However, they can get expensive.
And what I find super annoying
is that most butchers don't really do the best job
of cutting all the fat off of them.
So you end up having to cut a lot of it off yourself anyway.
Bone-in skin-on thighs definitely have more flavor
and the skin is so delicious.
And chicken skin isn't as bad for you as you think.
It is definitely high in fat
and adds about a hundred calories
so you have to keep that in mind,
but most of the fat in chicken skin
is healthy unsaturated fat, and cooking with the skin on
keeps the chicken flavorful and juicy
so you don't need to add as much salt
or use a breaded coating.
You can of course remove the skin.
So that's an option for bone-in thighs.
As a meal prep blogger,
I believe that healthy eating is all about the context.
If it's one of those things
where you're used to eating fried chicken
or other types of fried food
and cooking skin-on chicken thighs
is a good compromise for you
to transition to healthier eating on a more regular basis,
then I am all for it.
But I'm also a big believer in loving what you eat
to stick with a healthy diet consistently.
So if the chicken skin is going to see you
eating more whole foods more often, then go for it.
Okay, I'm going to step off my soapbox here
and let you get back to the recipe.
Choose whatever type of chicken thighs you want.
Then you're going to add the spice rub.
There's no need to use any type of oil
with either type of thigh
because they are naturally fattier than chicken breast
and will emit some fat on their own as they cook.
So go ahead and coat your chicken thighs in the spice blend.
Then add them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
I forgot to mention this earlier,
but you'll want to preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
We want a relatively high heat while cooking,
the least amount of time possible to seal in the juiciness.
If you cook on a lower temperature for a longer time,
you'll get drier chicken.
Now keep in mind that the cook time will vary
for which type of chicken thighs you've used.
For bone-in skin-on, it'll cook for 25 minutes,
skin side down, then flip the chicken right side up
and broil the thighs for one to two minutes
until the skin is crispy.
On the flip side, you will cook the boneless skinless thighs
for 12 minutes, then flip and cook
for another eight minutes.
Cooking boneless chicken thighs
will save you five to seven minutes cooking time
so these are the thighs to go with
if you need to cook them in a hurry.
Now I know you're probably wondering what to serve
with chicken thighs and the answer
is pretty much anything and everything.
For a more classic dinner, you can throw
some chopped up potatoes coated in a bit of olive oil,
lemon juice, rosemary, and garlic powder
onto the same sheet pan and they should be done
around the same time as the chicken
if you've cut the potatoes into small enough pieces.
And all you need is a side salad that you can prep
while everything's cooking and you've got dinner.
Or you could have some veggies tossed in olive oil,
salt and pepper going on the same sheet pan
for the same time as the chicken.
Think broccoli, red onion, thinly sliced carrots,
bell peppers, zucchini, anything goes.
Doing the chicken and veggies together
results in a delicious dinner or meal prep bowl
that is also low carb and super filling
so that's my recommendation in terms of the side dish.
You can get some easy instructions
on cooking a vegetable medley to serve
alongside these chicken thighs on the blog.
I've linked to the post below this video.
Now, storing, reheating, and freezing,
the hot topics everyone wants to know about for meal prep.
What I suggest you do is store individual portions
of your chicken thighs and veggies,
if you choose to prep the two together,
in glass meal prep containers.
You can store the leftovers for up to four to five days
and then reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
Be sure to sprinkle some water over top of the chicken
or cover with a wet paper towel to keep the chicken
from drying out and developing that leftover chicken taste.
Seriously, that trick really works.
Try it out.
If you have too much leftover chicken kicking around,
you can also freeze the cooked chicken thighs
for up to three months.
Store them in a freezer bag or glass container,
and then just take out what you need
when you need to reheat them.
The easiest way to reheat after freezing
is to let them defrost in the fridge overnight
and then reheat in the microwave as normal.
If you want that chicken skin extra crispy,
again you can reheat for a minute in the microwave
and then broil in the oven for another minute, too.
Really, you just can't go wrong with these chicken thighs.
They are so easy to make
and work with so many different side dishes
that they really will become a staple
in your meal prep routine.
I hope you enjoyed this video and I hope you also
love my seasoning blend for chicken thighs.
If you enjoyed this recipe,
be sure to leave a comment and subscribe to my channel
for more easy meal prep chicken recipes.
I'll see you in the next video.
(cheerful pop music)