Smoked Paprika and Balsamic Chicken

Smoked Paprika and Balsamic Chicken

Smoked Paprika And Balsamic Chicken With Fresh Thyme, Balsamic Vinaigrette, And Seasonal Garden Salad.

My Creative Thought Process

Smoked paprika and balsamic, throw in some fresh lemons, garlic, and thyme you can’t go wrong.

Free-range chicken it’s great to work with versatile, tasty, and always in season. Can take on most flavors and is a crowd favorite.

Lemons are in season and the thyme is still growing like crazy in the garden. Balsamic vinegar works so well with chicken especially when it is drizzled over as a vinaigrette.

I wanted to create something easy that everyone can cook. Smoked paprika and balsamic chicken, this is a weeknight family meal designed for busy people. Tasty, healthy, and created for you.

Chicken Thigh Versus Breast

I use free-range chicken thighs because they are user-friendly, succulent, and have a more defined flavor.

As opposed to the chicken breast which is risky when cooking. Have you ever had dry overcooked chicken breast? Not nice. 

• When cooking chicken there are some hard and fast rules that need to be followed. Importantly, Cooking chicken to an Internal temperature of 75ºC or 167ºF or above.

What Is Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar (Italian: Aceto balsamico) also known as just balsamic is a dark caramel almost black-colored vinegar. It has a concentrated, intense, mildly sweet flavor.

Balsamic is made from grape must. Grape must is all the skins, seeds, and stems freshly crushed which produces fresh grape juice. This is also known as pomace.

Balsamic is aged in barrels moved from barrel to barrel which gets progressively smaller and the balsamic becomes thicker and more intense.

The aging process can be up to 100 years. Aged balsamic has a high antioxidant capacity.

Food Is Very Subjective

What I like, you might not, and vice versa. Different people have different taste buds – some overly savory flavor orientated.

Others are at the other end of the scale. Some people may want overly spicy, sour, or sweet flavor notes.

There is a cultural aspect that is sometimes overlooked, Halal and Kosher are two that come to mind.

Allergens in today’s world are trending where people make an informed or uninformed lifestyle choice to remove allergens from their diet, gluten, dairy or soy are good examples.

Then there are the people who if they eat a certain food group like peanuts or crustaceans (shellfish) both these foods can induce Anaphylaxis: A life-threatening reaction.

Adequate treatment for anaphylaxis can save lives.

If you suspect that you or anyone are experiencing a severe allergic reaction, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Symptoms of anaphylaxis include but are not limited to hives, difficulty breathing, and sudden weakness or confusion.

Getting to the point the quantities in this recipe are only a guideline, you can add more or less of any ingredient or omit something altogether. 

However in saying that for the best flavor profile and micro-nutrients it is recommended that you follow the recipe and don’t remove too many ingredients.

Larder Stables And Must Have Kitchen Tools

Essential Kitchen Tools – Must Haves

You can’t be at a professional level in the kitchen unless you own a variety of high-end tools. Genius kitchen gadgets are an essential part of any home cook’s or aspiring chef’s arsenal. From some of the best chef knives, and kitchen cookware, to wooden cutting boards. These will set you apart from others and get you ready with what you need to start making meals like a chef.

My Professional Recommendations

Seasoning Food

• As a chef the most underrated ingredient in the kitchen is salt. When my recipes call for salt and pepper I use a variety of different salts and freshly ground black pepper.

Many chefs, including myself, prefer sea salt like Maldon salt flakes or Himalayan pink salt. Both can be used for cooking and finishing. They have a refined flavor that brings out the natural taste of food.

Smoked Paprika and Balsamic Chicken

Week Night Family Meal Designed For Busy People, Tasty, Healthy And Created For You.

4.45 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine New Zealand

Servings 4 People

Calories 426 kcal

Ingredients

  

Chicken Thigh Marinade

• 4 each Chicken thighs - skin-on bone-in
• 2 tbsp Smoked paprika
• 1 each Lemons - peeled and seeds removed
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 2 each Bay leaves - dried
• 5 cloves Garlic - peeled
• 2 tbsp Rice bran oil
• Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 60 mls Balsamic vinegar
• 120 mls Olive oil - extra virgin
• 1 tbsp Mustard - Dijon
• Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad Ingredients

• 1 each Tomato - diced
• 1 each Green pepper aka capsicum - seeds removed, cut paysanne
• 3 Lettuce leaves - cut chiffonade
• 100 grams Pine nuts - toasted
• 50 grams Brie
• 2 sprigs Thyme

Instructions

 

Chicken Marinade

• Pre-heat oven to 175ºC (347ºF).

  Place the lemon, paprika, garlic, bay leaves, and fresh thyme into a blender. With the blender running add the oil, you should end up with a paste.
  
• Pour the paste over the chicken thighs and rub it into the chicken.

  Lay chicken onto an oiled baking tray and place it into the oven for 30 – 35 minutes.
  
• When chicken is cooked, keeping food safety in mind the chicken thigh's internal temperature should be 75ºC or 167ºF or above.

  Rest the chicken for 4 – 5 minutes and let those juices disperse back throughout the chicken which will give you juicy tender chicken.  

Tossed Fresh Salad

• Pan roast the pine nuts, place them into a bowl, and cool.

  Place the tomato, capsicum, brie, and lettuce into a bowl, toss well, and into a serving bowl.

  Sprinkle the cold roasted pine nuts over the salad.
  

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Place the Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper into an airtight container.

  Place on the lid and shake to emulsify. Drizzle balsamic over the salad just before you’re ready to eat.

  If you add the balsamic too early the lettuce leaves will wilt, this is due to the acid in the balsamic vinegar. 

Plating Your Smoked Paprika and Balsamic Chicken

• Family style plating sociable food, place the chicken onto a plate garnish with fresh thyme, and drizzle over the last of the balsamic vinaigrette.

  Sever the chicken and salad so everybody can help themselves. 

Keywords Balsamic, Chicken Thighs, Fresh Thyme, Smoked Paprika, Vinaigrette

Watch How I Make Smoked Paprika and Balsamic Chicken

My Enjoyment For Your Benefit And Value

I create these dishes for your enjoyment, I have fun doing it. After cooking in manic fast pasted environments, cooking at home is relaxing and therapeutic.

If I can add value to your life, giving you ideas for breakfast, lunch, or dinner even children’s meals I will have achieved what I set out to do.

All the ingredients in this recipe you can find at your local whole foods or grocery store. I always try to use organic, free-range, or ethically farmed products, the traceability of the product is also important to me.

This usually has a story behind it that I can pass on to my family, friends, customers, and you. Chicken is such a versatile meat and can be roasted, baked, pan-fried, and marinated then cooked on a bbq.

Try this recipe and I hope you enjoy cooking and eating it as much as we did. I believe that recipes are worth nothing until you share them.

Let me know how you got on with my balsamic chicken recipe, also what you think of the flavor.