Greek Thighs (of the Chicken Variety)

Grocery finds: boneless chicken thighs (on sale at Rainbow for $1.89/lb) and spinach (Fresh Express, on sale for $1.00, including .55 off coupon)

(additional ingredients: romaine lettuce, kalamata olives, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, herbs & spices)

Yes, yes, another chicken dish for today's AE entry--I can't help it!  When chicken is on sale, I snap it up.  And when chicken thighs are on sale, I jump for joy.  I just love them.  It's really hard to overcook chicken thighs (unlike boneless chicken breast), mainly because of the dark meat content, so they almost always turn out tender and juicy, as long as you're careful.

What I did: I used an easy Greek-inspired marinade for these thighs, which consisted of the following:

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tablespoon rosemary

1/2 small onion, shredded

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon Maldon sea salt

I mixed everything together, and marinated my thighs (the chicken ones, you pervs) in the fridge for about three hours.  (Note: with this particular marinade, given the lemon juice content, you don't want to marinate them for more than a few hours, otherwise the acid will toughen the protein fibers in the chicken.  Here is a blog that explains this process in more detail.)

For the cooking portion, I used my trusty cast-iron skillet, and sauteed them on medium-heat.  It's important not to cook these boneless thighs on too high of heat, otherwise the garlic and onions will burn--but with medium heat, the chicken cooks evenly, and the onions end up caramelizing by the time you're done: delicious!  Also, there is no need to sear on high heat here, given that the thighs are boneless and skinless (i.e., there is no skin to crisp!)

The salad consisted of a mixture of romaine lettuce and spinach, sliced kalamata olives, tomato, cucumbers, feta crumbles, and thinly-sliced red onion.  Here is the finished product:

The Verdict

Okay, I'll admit: this dish isn't particularly inspired...but it sure is delicious!  I've been on a kick lately making salads with some kind of protein (chicken, pork chops, etc.) for dinner, just because it is easy, light, and makes a nice summer meal.

Taste: 8
Appearance: 7
Creativity: 5

Improvements for next time: can't think of any--this is pretty straightforward!  We are a thigh-loving household, and Greek chicken thighs are no exception! :-)