Zesty Italian Chicken Thighs Recipes

ZESTY ITALIAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Place chicken, skin sides down, in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.
• Mix remaining ingredients. Brush half of mayonnaise mixture over chicken.
• Cover and bake 30 minutes. Turn chicken; brush with remaining mayonnaise mixture. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. (If chicken begins to brown too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.) Discard any remaining mayonnaise mixture.

BAKED ITALIAN CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
• Season chicken thighs on both sides with garlic powder and salt.
• Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs, smooth-side down in pan and brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip thighs over and remove skillet from heat. Top each thigh with an equal amount of ricotta cheese mixture. Spoon marinara sauce over the ricotta cheese and around the chicken thighs.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven and leave oven on.
• Top chicken with mozzarella cheese and return to the oven until cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.

SPICY ITALIAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Use a small knife to prick 5 or so gashes into the skin of the chicken. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.
• Place chicken skin side down in a cold large non stick skillet, then turn stove onto medium high. As it heats up, the fat under the skin will start to melt through the holes in the skin.
• Cook for 4 - 5 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy. Turn the chicken and cook the other side for 3 minutes.
• Remove chicken onto a plate, discard fat (don't scrape the pan) then return to the stove.
• Add oil, garlic and onion. Cook for 1 minute, then add capsicum. Cook for 2 minutes then add wine. Bring to a simmer and stir, scraping the pan to get those golden bits mixed in.
• Once most of the wine is evaporated and it doesn't smell winey anymore, add the tomato, water and pepper flakes. Stir, bring to a simmer, adjust heat so it's bubbling energetically but not rapidly (and not slowly).
• After 5 minutes (or so), stir through olives and capers. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper.
• Then place chicken into the sauce, being careful not to submerge the skin. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle over parsley. Serve with crusty bread, or use half the sauce to toss through / pour over pasta and the other half to serve with chicken (see photos in post).

EASY ITALIAN CHICKEN II

Steps:

• To Marinate: Pour salad dressing into a large, resealable plastic bag. Add chicken breasts, seal bag and shake to coat. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight (the longer you marinate, the more taste the chicken will absorb).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove chicken from bag, discarding remaining marinade. Place chicken in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Note: Turn chicken occasionally while baking.