Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sour Cherries + Garlic Cloves

Roasting chicken thighs is a bit of an art form, but I promise, it’s super easy to get juicy meat with crispy skin.

Getting the perfect thigh result is combination of correct cooking temperature, time in the oven and the right balance of oil to help the skin crisp up without making the dish oily.

There are several ways to create beautiful flavors in this roasted dish. Keeping it simple, with some salt and a few fresh or dried herbs and lemon wedges will yield a delicious meal. But adding aromatics such as garlic, red onion, sour cherries, bell peppers also deliver a beautiful array of color.

Chicken Thigh Ingredients

• Olive oil – to help the skin crisp and brown and keep the chicken meat moist
• White balsamic vinegar – to add a bit of tang and cut through the fat and oil, and balance the taste of the pan juices
• Dried herbs – garlic powder, oregano and a few others ensure infusion of potent herbal flavor into the chicken meat, cherries and garlic cloves
• Fresh herbs – woody rosemary and fresh thyme leaves expel its oils while roasting on top of chicken thighs, saturating the meat in fresh flavor
• Dried sour cherries – these add little pops of sour sweetness throughout the dish. The cherries provide a chewy texture and a refreshingly acidic bite. Plus, roasting the cherries rehydrates them with roasting juices making them more savory than sweet
• Garlic – I leave the cloves whole because as they roast their typical “pungent” flavor softens and caramelizes, plus it’s easier

Yield: about 4 servings

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sour Cherries and Garlic Cloves

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Sour Cherries add a sweet, sour and savory pop to this dish. Roasted with whole cloves of garlic and fresh herbs, these Roasted Chicken Thighs have perfectly crisp skin and juicy meat.

Ingredients

• 6 - 8 chicken thighs WITH bone and skin (I use Organic Bell & Evans)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (can substitute red wine vinegar)
• about 10 - 15 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup dried sour cherries
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 4 - 5 stems fresh rosemary sprigs
• 4 - 5 stems fresh thyme, leaves picked off stem
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To Marinate:

1. Line a 9x13 cake pan with aluminum foil, set aside.
2. Wash and pat dry chicken thighs. Trim excess fat around each thigh with kitchen scissors. Place all garlic cloves and thighs and in lined cake pan, skin side up.
3. Sprinkle garlic and chicken with salt and pepper, about 2 tsp of each or to taste. Sprinkle all parsley, oregano, garlic powder over the garlic and chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Add fresh rosemary sprigs and fresh thyme leaves.
4. Using your hands, massage the chicken thighs, making sure to cover each side with the olive oil-vinegar-herb mixture. Place all chicken thighs skin side down in pan.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Remove pan with chicken 30 minutes before cooking.
2. Preheat oven to 425F.
3. Flip chicken thighs so they are skin-side up. Then spread marinated rosemary sprigs atop each chicken thigh, breaking them into smaller pieces if necessary. Sprinkle chicken thighs with paprika.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, then sprinkle dried sour cherries around the chicken, trying to get most of them in the sizzling pan juice.
5. Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes until chicken thighs have a deep, golden-brown skin.
6. Remove from oven and cover pan loosely by laying another sheet of aluminum foil over the top. Let sit for 8-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Serve with rice and vegetables.

Keep in mind, this dish is supposed to be beautifully rustic. I always serve roasted thighs alongside a fluffy bed of white rice and a green vegetable like steamed spinach or broccoli. The rice helps to soak up all of the lovely, flavorful juices so make sure you ladle extra pan juice when serving.

Check out more recipes by The Food Quest.