Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs can be turned into an incredibly good dinner for very little money and with a minimum amount of hassle in this smothered chicken thigh recipe. The thighs get a quick browning in a hot pan, and then nestle in a simple pan sauce for about 20 minutes, turning into into a moist, flavorful meal. Serve the thighs "smothered" with sauce for an easy, company worthy, and very inexpensive main dish. Oh, and if you're worried about the fat in the chicken skin, remove it before you eat the thighs but leave it on for the cooking process. The skin will keep the chicken moist and give the chicken wonderful flavor to the chicken while it cooks. We like the thighs with whole-wheat noodles, a green veggie, and a salad for a great meal. Enjoy!
Smothered Chicken Thighs -- Serves 4+
6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and skin
1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper
2/3 cup of flour, divided (white whole-wheat flour will work as well as all-purpose)
1-2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 onions, chopped
1 cup of carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup of celery, chopped (a couple of ribs)
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
2 1/2 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth (or reconstituted chicken "Better Than
Bullion")
Chopped parsley (optional)
Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season them with the lemon pepper. Dust the thighs (both sides) with about half of the flour. Let the floured thighs stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, if possible. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the thighs, skin-side-down, to the hot pan and let them brown for 5 or 6 minutes. When well-browned on the skin-side, flip the thighs and brown them on the other side for about 5 minutes. Remove the thighs from the skillet to a plate. Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the grease and return the skillet to the heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and saute them for 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle in the garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme, poultry seasoning, and the remainder of the flour. Stir the mixture for a few minutes to incorporate the seasonings and flour. Stir in the chicken broth and stir the mixture for a few minutes until the broth is incorporated and the mixture thickens slightly. Nestle the chicken thighs, crispy skin side up, in the sauce and partially cover the skillet. Let the thighs cook in the sauce for about 20 minutes or until cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your liking. Sprinkle on the parsley, if you'd like.
