Oven-Baked Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs have been the real bread and butter of my diet since my second year of college, when I started having to cover my own grocery bills :) This has become my all-time favorite way to spice them. If I need a side dish, I usually chop up an onion, sautee it for 30 seconds in the pan, and toss the onion and a handful of cherry tomatoes on top of the thighs and bake everything together.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 2
• Yields: 4 chicken thighs

Ingredients

• 4  chicken thighs

• Spice Rub

• 2  teaspoons ground cumin
• 2  teaspoons paprika
• 2  teaspoons ground turmeric
• 3⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder (can go down to 1/2 - I looove garlic..)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•  salt
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 2  tablespoons olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a skillet and a 9x5 baking dish)

Directions

1. In a shallow dish, stir together all spices and 1 teaspoon salt. Coat chicken thighs with spice mix.
2. Warm the oil in a skillet and pan-fry chicken thighs, making sure each side is nicely browned.
3. Transfer chicken thighs to a greased (butter or olive oil) 9x5 baking dish. If you have any remaining spice mix, feel free to sprinkle it over the thighs, as this will reduce to a nice gravy. Put in pre-heated oven at 375 for 45 minutes, or until juices run clear.
4. Serve with basmati rice or couscous.