Looking for a dinner that’s tasty and easy to make? Look no further than these Paprika Baked Chicken Thighs, which will make your mouth water. This recipe calls for tender, juicy chicken thighs that are seasoned with a special blend of spices, including smoked paprika and a touch of cayenne pepper, for just the right amount of heat. And what’s best? You don’t have to deal with the trouble of skin or bones!
This paprika spice blend is very versatile and can be used on a wide range of meats, from chicken breasts to kabobs to beef. So, these paprika-baked chicken thighs are a great choice for a family meal or a BBQ in the backyard. Also, you only need a few simple ingredients and a quick trip to the oven to make a delicious and filling meal quickly. So why hold out? Try this recipe and you’ll see how easy and tasty it is to cook with paprika.
Ingredients Needed :
for Paprika Baked Chicken Thighs :
chicken thighs
Paprika Spice Blend for Chicken
kosher salt
mayonnaise or oil (virgin olive oil or vegetable oil)
chopped parsley
Paprika Spice Blend for Chicken, Beef
Smoked Paprika
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Ground Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Brown Sugar
Why make your own seasoning for chicken thighs?
I’ve been buying pre-made spice mixes for years, but I’ve never really stopped to read the list of ingredients. I just used a few that I liked and was happy to do so. All of the pre-made seasonings I used had salt as the main ingredient, which made it hard to know how much to use in my recipes.
I knew how much salt the dish needed in general, but I didn’t know how much to use when mixed with other spices, so sometimes the meat would be too bland or too salty.
When I was looking for a new spice blend one day, I started reading the labels to see what made each one different. I noticed that salt is always the first ingredient on the list.
Since the ingredients are listed in order of how much is used, with salt at the top, I realized I was mostly paying for salt. After this, I was determined to make my own spice blend.
Now that I have a grill, I make grilled chicken quite often. It also gives me a lot of chances to try different amounts of spices in my spice blend to see which works best. FINALLY! I have found the one I love the most, and I can’t wait to tell you about it!
How to Bake Chicken in the Oven?
First, sprinkle the chicken with spices. Then, put the chicken in a baking dish and bake it on the middle rack at 450F for 45–55 minutes for dark meat (chicken thighs, drumsticks, and wings) and 30 minutes for chicken breast. If you poke the chicken and the juices run clear, the chicken is done.
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Easy Paprika Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe
Paprika Baked Chicken Thighs are easy, delicious, skinless, bone-in chicken thighs that are baked in the oven with a special blend of spices that include cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. This special Paprika Spice Blend goes well with chicken breasts, beef, and kabobs, as well as any other grilled meat.
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
What you will need to make Paprika Baked Chicken Thighs :
- 8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (8 thighs = about 1 lb 3 oz)
- 2 tablespoons of Paprika Spice Mix for Chicken (recipe listed below)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil (virgin olive oil or vegetable oil)
- 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley as a topping
- Paprika Spice Blend for Chicken, Beef (Use ONLY 2 Tbsp for this recipe)
- 4 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 3 tablespoons of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 3 tbsp Black Pepper Powder
- 1 pinch of Cayenne Pepper
- 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
Instructions
How to Make Paprika Meat Spice Blend for Chicken and Beef :
- In a small container, combine all the ingredients for the meat spice blend and shake to thoroughly combine. ONLY 2 Tbsp of this mixture will be used in the recipe (Note 1). Save the remainder for a later date.
How to Bake Chicken :
- Center the baking rack in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees.
- Remove the skin and any excess fat from the chicken thighs.
- In a ziplock bag or large mixing bowl, combine the 8 chicken thighs (1 pound 3 ounces), 2 tablespoons oil or mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Paprika Meat Spice Blend, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix thoroughly, massaging the spices into the chicken.
- Cook, uncovered, in a preheated 450°F oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the chicken thighs are easily pierced with a fork or knife and the juices run clear when pierced. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and it should read 165F.
- If desired, garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
The paprika chicken spice blend has the perfect proportions of spices that, if scaled down, would result in an odd number that would be difficult to precisely measure out. If you prefer to make just enough seasoning for this recipe, here’s a close-scaled-down version.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 406 kcal
Keywords: Paprika Baked Chicken Thighs , Chicken Recipe
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