Crispy Chicken Thighs with Smashed Potatoes & Arugula Salad
9 ingredients · 50 minute · 4-6 servings
This meal is my go-to for casual dinner parties & for our regular dinners. It takes less than 20 minutes of active time, but it is consistently delicious which always impresses my guests. My mother-in-law likes these potatoes so much, it’s all she asked for for her birthday this past February (ok, so she is easy to please!).
Bonus: This meal will support any health goal with its balance of fat, fiber & protein. Protein has a higher thermic effect than fat or carbs, meaning it boosts our metabolism & burns more calories when we eat it.
You can use any green for the salad, but I love the peppery flavour of arugula, plus it’s rich in nitrates, which boosts our nitric oxide levels. Why is this good? Nitric oxide improves blood flow throughout the body, which supports healthy blood pressure, better energy, athletic performance & recovery.
I like to keep leftover boiled potatoes on hand for Smashed Potatoes through the week. Cooked & cooled potatoes (even when reheated) turns them into resistant starch, which is essentially a superfood for good gut bacteria.
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Combine 1 tbsp of the oil, 1 tsp of salt & all the spices in a small bowl.
Dry the thighs with paper towel, place on the prepared baking sheet & rub the oil mixture over them.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees (reduce baking time for boneless).
While you’re waiting, grease another roasting pan & place your potatoes on it. Use a fork to smash the potatoes. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes & sprinkle with salt.
Once the thighs have finished cooking, remove them from the oven & move your oven rack to the highest level & set the oven to Broil.
Place the potatoes in the oven & broil for 5-15 min, until they’re gold & crispy!
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare your salad: Combine 2 tbsp of oil with the vinegar & ½ tsp of salt in a small bowl. Dice the bell pepper. Toss the arugula with the pepper & dressing until well combined.
Once everything is ready, divide it out onto plates. Now sit back & enjoy the compliments!
Ingredients
2lb chicken thighs, skin-on (bone-in or boneless)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + extra for potatoes
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
5-6 cups of arugula (or your favourite greens)
1 bell pepper
1 1/2 - 2lb leftover boiled baby or fingerling potatoes
Notes
Make it Ahead - Boil your potatoes, wash the arugula & dice your peppers the day before. You can also rub the thighs the day before as well.
Switch it Up - You can swap the balsamic vinegar for white or red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. Skip the smoked paprika & garlic powder & simply use salt. Or you can swap the smoked paprika for Italian seasoning.
