Paleo-Friendly Meals: Buffalo Chicken Thighs

Happy Wednesday! Today, I have a recipe sure to please any buffalo chicken fan. Since going Paleo, there’s one thing I crave and rarely eat on cheat days – buffalo wings! Arguably, real buffalo chicken wings are Paleo – assuming they are not breaded before frying. Boneless buffalo wings from Applebee’s was my guilty pleasure and the real deal chicken wing doesn’t come close. Something about the crispiness of the breading mixed with the thick sauce makes my mouth water. So to supplement my crunchy-saucy cravings, I came up with these buffalo chicken thighs!
Title Image Disclaimer: no, these are not going to be as lovely as Applebee’s boneless buffalo wings, but they are saucy and crunchy enough to put a smile on your face 🙂
Let’s get to it! Gather your ingredients: chicken thighs, butter, Frank’s RedHot, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. First, start by de-boning the chicken thighs. Don’t let it intimidate you, it’s easier than it sounds. I used to hate de-boning chicken because I thought it scary. You can’t see the bones, the cuts aren’t always clean, etc. – but it’s not bad once you’ve done it once or twice. If it makes you feel better, find an instructional video on youtube. That’s what I did
Save the bones! Keep them in the fridge if cooking within the week or freeze for future use. You can use them to make broth or soup!
Season both sides of the chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.
Melt the butter and mix with Franks.Brush both sides of the chicken with the sauce mixture.Preheat the oven to 350° and place the chicken thighs, skin side down, on wire racks in a sheet pan. Keeping the chicken off the pan allows heat to circulate and will keep the sauce from burning. Cook for 35 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven, baste with sauce mixture, and turn skin side up.
Turn the oven to broil and place the chicken on the top shelf. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until skin has reached desired crispness.Look at that beautiful crunchy skin. It’s actually a thing of wonder. True story. final And there you have it! I make this bi-monthly or whenever I go out of my mind for Applebee’s boneless buffalo wings. Serve immediately to enjoy the crunchy skin. Even though I like to bring this for lunch, reheating leaves the skin soggy. #firstworldproblems Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day! Aloha!