Raspberry Mojito Cupcakes

Do you gather with family for Easter? Now that we are back in Arizona, we do, and we always have a HUGE Easter dinner. We gather with the whole Luna clan and my mom and sisters get together for lunch weeks before to figure out the menu (similar to what they do for Thanksgiving). I tend to have different assignments each year, but this year I was assigned the chicken. Yes, we like to have a variety of meats served at the holiday dinner, and usually have ham, a roast, and a chicken dish.

We had recently tried a recipe for Crispy Baked Chicken that was loved by the whole family, so my mom requested that recipe. I was happy to make it because it was easy and really was so delicious. It may be because it’s smothered in sour cream, cheese and crushed crackers and then topped with a creamy sauce. The recipe actually calls for chicken breasts, but since I was trying to feed a lot I ended up using breast tenders. They are about the third or even a quarter the size of large chicken breast, but they worked perfectly for our Easter dinner!!

I was excited to see that the chicken was all gone in a matter of minutes and several family members asked for the recipe. We had gotten it from Just a Pinch, but we made a few adjustments that we think made the recipe event better!! Give it a try yourself and let us know what you think. 😉

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs – The most amazing oven baked chicken thighs!  These chicken thighs come out crispy on the outside and amazingly tender and juicy on the inside.  Baked chicken thighs are so easy to make with only a few ingredients and one pan!

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs – The most amazing oven baked chicken thighs!  These chicken thighs come out crispy on the outside and amazingly tender and juicy on the inside.  Baked chicken thighs are so easy to make with only a few ingredients and one pan!

I am absolutely beside myself to have finally recreated our favorite chicken recipes, without the mess on the stove-top and with minimal cleanup.

I’ve been making these Pan Fried Chicken Thighs and Pan Fried Italian Chicken Thighs at least once a month ever since I first made them several years ago. The recipes are crazy easy and my whole family loves the taste of pan-fried chicken. (Who doesn’t?!)

If you haven’t tried that very simple cooking method yet, you should, because you simply have to taste it to understand how amazing a single piece of chicken can be.

Ingredients

• 6 - 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: ground paprika and/or granulated garlic

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking tray or half sheet pan with foil and place all the chicken pieces on it, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and flip each piece skin side up. Drizzle about a teaspoon of oil over the skin on each piece of chicken and rub lightly to coat. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper.
2. Bake for one hour, until most of the fat has rendered out of the chicken and the skin is golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let rest about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!