Skillet Roasted Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are often overlooked as everyone is usually clamoring for skinless chicken breasts, which are also very tasty but you have to go back to the delicious crispy thigh that has some heat marinated into the meat.

This is an easy, fast and inexpensive dish.  Be sure to cook it just before your guests arrive as your entire house will carry the aroma of chicken sizzling in the oven.  You can serve just about anything with it but I like to make our satiny mashed potatoes or a delicious buttermilk mashed potato. If you have leftover thighs then try making a simple chicken salad the next day.

Ingredients 

• 8 chicken thighs with skin on
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 12 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped, divided in half
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 2 dashes of Sriracha 
• 1 teaspoon off fresh chives, finely chopped

Making It

• Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, season it with kosher salt then refrigerate for 6 hours 
• Set the oven to 475 degrees, with the rack set in the middle
• Put the olive and 6 sprigs of thyme in a large skillet over high heat, when the oil heats up  let the thyme flavor the oil for two minutes then remove the sprigs and place the thighs skin side down, let cook for 2 minutes then lower to medium high heat and cook for 12, or so, minutes until the skin is a golden brown, remove from stovetop and place on the middle rack of the oven and let cook for an additional 12 minutes
• Take the skillet out of the oven, flip the chicken over and put back for up to 5 minutes to finish off, remove from oven and let chicken rest for up to ten minutes
• Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with thyme leaves and a side of mustard
• Tip:  If you really want to spice it up, mix a few dashes of Sriracha and some chopped chives in the Dijon mustard to really fire it up

The Day After, make a simple chicken salad for lunch: