I do not love the pressure of cooking an entire turkey. It's a lot of work and it intimidates me. Plus, pulling the insides out of a raw turkey makes me gag. So for Christmas dinner I scaled it back and made this simple chicken.
4 Tbs butter, softened
2 Tbs. olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1-2 tsp. lemon zest (lemon pepper works if you forgot to buy a lemon, ask me how I know!)
1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbs. minced fresh sage
1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme leaves (pronounced "time" not "thime," ahem, Dicie!)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 large package skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (about 5 lbs?)
Preheat the oven to 375°. For the herb rub, combine all the ingredients. Gently separate the skin from the chicken without removing it. Spread some of the herb mixture under the skin (a rubber spatula works well) and on top of the skin. Place a wire rack over a foil-lined cookie sheet. Lightly spray the rack with cooking spray. Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up on the wire rack. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drippings are great for gravy-making!
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites (their instructions are for herb-roasted turkey breast)
