Chicken Thighs With Olives and Apricots (gluten free, dairy free)

May 20th, 2012 | 1 Comment
Written by Cooking Naturally Editors
Posted in Healthy Living, Recipes

Chicken legs are a great budget meat for a family on a limited budget. They are high in iron and their small amount of fat help you put together an inexpensive, savory meal. However, it is easy to tire of the same old dark meat chicken recipes. This one will help combat your boredom.

Serve this dish with a wholesome whole-grain side dish and a green salad with a citrus dressing. You will feast on a budget.

Baked Chicken Thighs Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs

• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons of fresh mint, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

• 2 dozen dried apricots, cut in half
• 3/4 cups green olives

Baked Chicken Thighs Steps

1. Liberally salt and pepper the chicken.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan until the oil shimmers.
3. Fry the chicken legs in oil, turning the legs until the skin is brown all around.
4. On a second burner, sauté the onion, garlic, mint, and red pepper flakes in the rest of the oil. Cook until the onion is tender.
5. Add the apricots and olives. Combine the mixture thoroughly to coat the apricots and olives with oil.
6. Arrange the onion-olive-apricot mix in an oiled casserole dish.
7. Place the chicken thighs on the onion mix with the skin-side up.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Do not cover the casserole dish. In thirty minutes, the meat should be cooked and tender but not dried out.

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Amanda Rose writes about food science and healthy eating at the Traditional Foods website from her homestead in the Sequoia National Forest of California.