chicken thighs Archives - A Calculated Whisk

Sheet Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs with Cabbage & Apples

March 27, 2020 By Becky Leave a Comment

Sheet Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs with Cabbage & Apples

This sheet pan crispy chicken with cabbage and apples tastes amazing and is easy to throw together. It’s paleo, dairy free, gluten free, and Whole30-compliant–and all you’ll need to wash is one baking sheet!

Is anyone else holding on to wintry foods for longer than usual this year? Even though it’s almost April and the high will be 85 degrees in Chattanooga today, I’m still craving everything roasted or braised, plus soups, stews, and all other things comfort food.

I know almost everything is a struggle these days, and I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and home as much as possible. Access to food is now spottier than ever and constantly shifting, so I hope you are staying well fed. I photographed this over a month ago when it was still business as usual here, but lately have had to try several times before succeeding in obtaining bone-in chicken.

Lebanese Lemon Chicken #30MinuteMondays

September 14, 2015 By Becky 42 Comments

Fast and flavorful Lebanese lemon chicken with shallots, fresh herbs,
and a touch of turmeric–a comforting paleo dinner for fall.

There was a touch of fall in the air this weekend, especially in the early mornings. So, even though the highs will be in the 80s all next week, I’ve decided it’s time for fall comfort food. And this Lebanese lemon chicken fits the bill exactly. The flavors of lemon, rosemary and thyme hint at cooler weather, but the dish is fast enough not to heat up your entire house if the temperatures outside are still hot.

This recipe is inspired by the Lebanese chicken dish I had for lunch from the hot bar at Whole Foods last week. I don’t do well if I grocery shop hungry, so when I arrive at the store not totally full, I get something to eat from the prepared foods section and sit down and eat it before doing my shopping. Whole Foods’ version of this dish was made with bone-in, skin-on chicken, and also had potatoes, olives, and a few other ingredients. I loved the overall taste of the recipe, but wanted to simplify it a little.

Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote

June 19, 2015 By Becky 22 Comments

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Crispy Chicken with Fig and Shallot Compote | acalculatedwhisk.com A simple but gourmet paleo dinner, perfect for a Whole30 or anytime. @beckywink

So, there may or may not be a poem at the end of this post, entitled “Ode to Figs” and written in the style of Pablo Neruda. (Have you read his poem “Ode to the Artichoke”? I’m not very into poetry but I’m very into artichokes–it’s one of the few poems I truly appreciate. Here it is in Spanish and English.) Figs are special, so I’m sharing a special but easy recipe that showcases them in all their glory. Plus, my ridiculous poem.

I got so excited when I discovered fresh figs at the market earlier this week. It seems that figs have a short season in early summer and a longer season in the fall, so if you can’t find them now, hopefully you’ll bookmark this post for later.

Grilled Adobo Chicken & Sweet Potato Bowls with Jicama Guacamole

April 22, 2015 By Becky 8 Comments

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I have a bone to pick with boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

I mean, there aren’t any actual bones in there to pick, but I’m trying to say I have a problem with them. Ninety percent of the time I eat boneless, skinless chicken breasts, they’re no good! Dry, flavorless, and boring. One hundred percent of the time, I would much prefer chicken thighs.

(Side note: Back when I was a kid and McDonald’s still used dark meat in some of their chicken nuggets, I would refuse to eat the white meat ones. I would actually take a bite out of each nugget to check and only eat the ones that passed muster, which was usually 2-3 per order. I was a super fun kid. Thanks, Mom, for putting up with me!)

Anyway, chicken thighs are one of my go-tos (and luckily, McDonald’s chicken nuggets no longer are). I love bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for pan-searing and roasting or braising. I am even willing to go to the trouble of deboning thighs myself to make Nom Nom Paleo’s amazing cracklin’ chicken. And I love boneless, skinless chicken thighs for grilling and making curries. They’re moister and more flavorful than breasts, and won’t dry out even if you overcook them slightly. I’m super paranoid about making sure my poultry is fully cooked, so I like that extra flexibility.

Crispy Chicken with Spring Vegetables

March 13, 2015 By Becky 2 Comments

Remember when Dorothy threw a bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West? And the witch screamed in agony: “I’m melting! Melting! Oh, what a world!”

As I walked to the train station yesterday afternoon, I could almost hear my city’s dirty snow screaming the exact same thing. Boston is not free of snow yet, but we sure have a lot less of it.

The thaw seemed like my cue to start celebrating spring in the kitchen by making a dish with bright green veggies. For the protein I went with crispy chicken thighs, because truly crispy chicken skin is the best thing ever. Ben only likes skin-on chicken when it’s as crunchy as possible and not moist at all, so I practiced and practiced and now have my routine for chicken-crisping down pat.

Here’s how you do it: sear the chicken skin side down in a very hot skillet for a little longer than it seems like you should, and then flip it over and finish it in a 450 degree oven. While the chicken roasts, you’ll have just enough time to fry some bacon and chop your veggies. Then, while the chicken rests, the vegetables cook in the fat from the chicken infused with a bit of lemon.