This baked chicken with a hint of cumin and paprika is sure to be a "crowd-pleaser" week night meal. It's another one of those dishes where it's best fresh out of the oven, as the chicken skin is still a little crispy. But, if you have leftovers, it's perfect shredded over a salad for lunch the next day.
Because this recipe uses chicken thighs and legs roasted at a high temperature, the chicken is already plenty moist, but I like to serve this chicken with a creamy cilantro yogurt sauce for an extra kick of flavor. That's because I used to make this chicken marinated with cilantro and olive oil, but since some family members don't like cilantro, I've de-coupled the cilantro/olive oil out of the marinade and put it into a dipping sauce instead. That way, everyone's happy!
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| Place chicken on a baking tray in a single layer |
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| Bake at 425 F for 25-30 minutes |
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| Broil for 2 to 3 minutes |
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| Add all sauce ingredients to a mini food processor and process for a few minutes |
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| Pour sauce into serving container and serve on the side with the chicken. |
This recipe is super easy and pairs nicely with some pasta or rice and a salad. Dinner can be on the table in an hour if you marinate your chicken the night before and prep the sauce while the chicken is baking.
Yields 5 to 6 servings
Ingredients for chicken:
- 4 lbs Bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (about 10 pieces)
- 2 t salt
- ½ t sugar
- 1 t granulated garlic powder
- 1 T dried chopped onion flakes
- ½ t ground black pepper
- ½ t sweet or smoked paprika
- ½ t cumin
Ingredients for Creamy Cilantro Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 c packed cilantro leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 T mayonnaise
- ½ c plain Greek yogurt
- ½ t spicy paprika (optional)
- pinch of salt
Procedures:
1. Place chicken, salt, sugar, garlic powder, dried onion flakes, black pepper, sweet or smoked paprika, and cumin in a large bowl. Mix so that the spice mix fully coats all the chicken pieces. Allow chicken to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
2. The next day, take chicken out of the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes for more even cooking. Meanwhile, line a baking tray with foil for easy clean up. (You can use this time to make your side dishes.)
3. Place chicken pieces in a single layer, skin side up, on the baking tray. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 25-30 minutes. Then broil on high for 2 minutes until the tops of the chicken pieces are lightly browned, but not burnt.
4. While the chicken is baking, make the creamy cilantro yogurt sauce by placing all the ingredients for the sauce in a mini food processor. Process for a few minutes. You may need to scrape down the sides and re-process depending on your food processor. When the cilantro is all finely chopped, the sauce is ready. Taste it, and adjust the salt to your liking. Pour it into a serving container and serve it on the side with the baked chicken. (Note: You should use this sauce the day it is made. If kept in the fridge, the sauce can turn a bit brown and watery after a few days. Although tasty, it's a bit unappetizing in appearance.)