Easy Last Minute Chicken Dinner

I use this recipe a lot, mostly because I keep forgetting to plan meals.  Easy to make and your guests or family will love it.  You can grill it or use a frying pan, both work very well.

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp paprika OR smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine the garlic, onion, paprika, oregano, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle half the spices over the chicken. Turn the chicken pieces over and sprinkle the remaining spices over them. Rub the spices into the chicken, if needed, to coat well.

Grill Pan Directions:

  1. Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium heat. Drizzle with the olive oil. Place half the chicken in the grill pan, making sure there is a gap between the pieces. Cook the chicken without touching it for 5 minutes. Flip the pieces over and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until they’re cooked through. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Broiling Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to broil.
  2. Place an oven rack 6 inches from the top of the oven. Put a wire rack over a large baking tray and arrange the chicken on the wire rack. Place the chicken in the oven and broil for 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, turn each piece of chicken over, and then broil for 5 to 6 minutes.
  3. Let the cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the pieces with cilantro, if desired.

Cooking Tips

One of the best things about cooking, is that whether you are not so great at it or a cooking virtuoso, you can benefit from recipes and great cooking tips. Anyone can follow a recipe and implement tips. Whether you think you’re a great chef or if you think that you can’t cook at all, here are a few cooking tips you can use today.

Keep It Simple!

In order to make the process of cooking easier, you should take to time to make large amounts of meat or vegetable stock and store it in the freezer. Not only is making your own stock less expensive than buying it from a retailer, but it makes it easy to keep a large supply on hand. Simply freeze the stock in small and clearly labeled portions and then take out what you need when you need it!

taco

Indenting the center of a hamburger patty by up to one half inch will prevent bulging during cooking. Just a poke in the middle prior to cooking will allow a more even distribution of heat and will stop your burger from swelling on the top, something most of us are all too familiar with.

Think about buying large beef roasts or pork shoulders to make during one of your weekend nights. After you have this for dinner, store it in your fridge so that you will be able to create many different types of sandwiches, as the week progresses. Maximize your value and limit your expenses by conserving food.

Cooking is not something you stop learning. You eat every day of your life, so you can use cooking skills every day of your life. What you learn about cooking today, you can use forever. Use these tips to boost your cooking skills and put your own spin on them, to make everyday eating a pleasure.

Let’s Cook!

 

Its fun to cook!
I love to cook and want to share that love!  I have had a lot of fun trying out different kitchen appliances as part of cooking class and I will pass on some of the things I have learned.
My grandmothers were great inspirations to me, they could cook and bake anything and it always turned out great.  Not sure how they did it, but I hope to be half as good as they were.
Hope you like the recipes!