Budget Friendly Chicken

Every week when I am ready to make out my meal plan for the upcoming week, I sit down and decide what meals I want to make, scour the kitchen to see what I have on hand, and check the sale papers to see what great bargains I can take advantage of as well. It's a three step process that I've found leads to us eating the yummiest food, on the best budget. So when I see a great sale on chicken, you can bet I'm going to try find a way to use it, rather it be a tried and true recipe, or something new. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only penny pinching mom/wife who keeps such a close eye on the sale ads. 

That is exactly how this recipe came about. Well, that and a bit of an "oops" on my part. I was actually planning on making my Garlic Lime Chicken, which is a recipe I wrote using breast meat, but when thighs were on sale for super cheap, I figured there was no reason why they couldn't be substituted. Sure, that was a great plan. Until I forgot that recipe also needs to marinade in the fridge for about 8 hours; and when I was ready to make supper, they were still in the package, with not one ounce of marinade on them. 

I had these beautiful chicken thighs to use, and let's face it, when you get something for a great price, they only taste better! So I needed to come up with a new recipe, that was quick, but still flavorful. Well, let's just say not only was it a complete success, but the "oops" turned out a good thing, leading to yet another delicious chicken recipe, which let's face it, is always a good thing. 

If you can find chicken thighs on sale too, be sure to keep this simple dish in mind. Or maybe for those nights when you have one thing planned, but instead to need to think quickly on your feet to make sure supper is saved and the family is still fed on time, being one the wiser to your mistake!

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, extra fat trimmed off

Cooking Spray

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray liberally with cooking spray. Lay chicken on sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine other spices and herbs and mix well. Sprinkle liberally over chicken, and under skin directly on meat. Bake for 30 minutes. Open oven and spray chicken again with cooking spray. Continue cooking for 30 minutes (1 hour total) until juices run clear and chicken is crispy. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Shared on The Country Cook Feb. 28, 2014

Chicken at Very Good Recipes