Cooking chicken thighs at a slightly lower temperature for a longer time keeps them tender and juicy; the paprika-centric spice rub adds color and flavor.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
Instructions
Cooking these chicken thighs a longer time at a lower temperature keeps them moist and you get a crispy skin. If you want some yummy spiced vegetables cooked in chicken fat, arrange a single layer of 1/2-inch-thick slices of potato, sweet potato, or cauliflower under the rack on which the chicken sits. When the chicken is done, cover and let it sit, turn up the oven to 400°F, and continue cooking the vegetables until browned, about 10 minutes.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat an oven to 300°F.
If you’ve thought a few hours or even the day before, salt the thighs, cover, and chill. If you’re ready to get dinner in the oven, just include the salt in the spice mixture. In a small bowl, combine the salt if you didn’t pre-salt the chicken, paprika, cumin, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add the oil and stir to create a paste.
Cover each chicken thigh with the spice paste. Set the chicken, skin-side up, on a rack in a roasting dish or on a lightly oiled or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the chicken skin is crispy and the meat is cooked through, about 50 minutes.
