chicken

Greek Chicken Gyros
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Greek Chicken Gyros

Lyn texted me that this look good, so I took a look and said to myself how could I not.

Thanks to The modern Nonna for the inspiration. Chicken Gyros and I actually go way back. Although I am Bulgarian 🇧🇬, my family and I lived on the Island of Crete for many years following my Dad’s Olympic career in water polo. While living there, I experienced true Greek 🇬🇷 home cooking. My mom learned how to make authentic Greek dishes from the women in Greece, which inspired most of the Greek dishes I cook and share on my page.

Me again: Many years ago while I lived in Chicago there was a restaurant down the street that introduced me to Gyros in fact one Thanksgiving he treated me to one since I was stuck alone in town.

The word “gyro” (as in the Greek dish) is typically pronounced “YEE-roh” or “YEE-rohs” (with the “s” indicating plural), while the word “gyro” (as in a gyroscope) is pronounced “JAHY-roh (This is the way most sub shops pronounce it here, so I quickly change to this when I get the puzzled look.)

What is a Gyro?

A Greek Gyro, or simply “Gyro,” is a popular Greek 🇬🇷 dish made of seasoned meat (often beef, lamb, pork, or chicken) cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The meat is then thinly sliced and served wrapped in warm pita bread, with toppings such as tomato 🍅, onion, and tzatziki sauce – a creamy yogurt and cucumber sauce. Sometimes, Gyros also include lettuce, French fries 🍟, or other veggies.

I did not have a Gyro pan so I used the onion trick- it fell over towards the end but I got it to stand up again.

Why You’ll Love Greek Chicken Gyros

Nonna: When I say this is the juiciest 💦 chicken that will ever grace your mouth, I mean it! Juicer than girl’s night gossip, these Greek Chicken Gyros are meticulously seasoned and roasted to perfection. The chicken is marinated in a combination of savory, tangy and herbaceous flavors, stacked on a spit and slow-roasted until the exterior develops a slight caramelized char while the inside remains tender and succulent 🤤. Serve this Greek Chicken Gyro on a warm pita with creamy tzatziki or on top of a salad or bowl – I promise you, you’ll never want to make chicken thighs any other way!

Ingredients 1 serving (I did 1/2 of this but a little more than 1/2 of sauce)

  • 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1.3kg total
  • ⅛ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
  • 6 cloves minced garlic, or 3 very large ones
  • lemon zest , two lemons zested
  • ½ tablespoon salt, you may need less if using regular table salt
  • dry oregano, to taste
  • 1 cup water, or stock (for the bottom of the pan)
  • Instructions 
  • Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).
  • In a bowl add the chicken, olive oil, honey Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, lemon zest, and oregano. Mix well. You can marinate for a minimum of one hour (even overnight for best results).
  • Once marinated, take the Vertical Gyro Spit Plate and thread the chicken thighs making sure to rotate each one opposite from the last.
  • Note: if you don’t have a Vertical Gyro Oven Plate, cut an onion in half, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment (or foil) and position two wooden skewers vertically into the onion and voila, you made your own spit and don’t need to buy one!
  • Now, place the gyro in the oven and add 1 cup of water or stock to the base (which will create our sauce).
  • Tip: you can pierce a small piece of foil making sure to cover the top chicken thigh as it will start to burn first on the top as it bakes.
  • Bake for 75-90 minutes or until fully cooked. Mine took exactly 1.5 hours.
  • Take it out of the oven, let it rest and cut! You can enjoy this chicken gyro with loaded Greek fries, on pita with tzatziki, on a Greek Salad and so much more!
  • My Note: My mistake was using cast iron pan the water evaporated to quickly

Her pictures

Kung Pao Chicken Noodles
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Kung Pao Chicken Noodles

A spicy noodle stir-fry with chicken and a homemade sesame sauce. This dish comes together in just 15 minutes and delivers all the flavors of your favorite takeout. I made this for the two of us. Thanks to allthenoodles.com for the inspiration this was based off their recipe

It was quick easy and pretty tasty and went ell with the scallion pancake as a side

Ingredients  

  • 1 pound chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 3 ounces fresh ramen noodles or noodle of your choice all work
  • Sauce
  • ⅔ cups soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame paste
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons chili paste – I went mild on spice
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger minced
  • Crushed peanuts
  • Scallion slice – most people tend to use mostly green but I love them so it all goes in
  • Optional a little cornstarch and water to thicken I prefer a thicker sauce

How

  • Heat a large skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken chunks with salt and pepper for about 4 minutes until browned.
  • Cook noodles according to directions
  • Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. I like to do before so the flavors combine, not sure if this is true or not but it does make cooking easier.
  • Add the noodles to the skillet with the chicken, then pour the sauce over the top. Stir everything together and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
  • Add cornstarch to thicken
  • Remove from heat, garnish with crushed peanuts and green onions, and serve immediately.
Easy Oven-Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe
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Easy Oven-Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs Recipe

This is quick and easy you could use bone in and skin on but I had the thighs without.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken (thighs boneless and skinless)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive oil

For the sauce (optional):

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon packed brown sugar

1 pinch red pepper flakes

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Place 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. The most basic seasoning that this meat really needs is salt and pepper. At this point, if I’m not adding another sauce, I drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the meat too, to help it brown well in the oven.

If using the sauce, place 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk until combined. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to combine.

Place the chicken in a single layer in an 8- or 9-inch baking dish. No need to grease the dish, just lay the chicken inside.

Boneless, skinless thighs cook quickly. Roast until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F, about 20 minutes. If they are not ready, continue roasting and checking the temperature every 5 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. This will help it be more tender. Eat and enjoy!

Quick Orange Flavored Chicken
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Quick Orange Flavored Chicken

I’m a huge fan of the orange-flavored chicken at Trader Joe’s—it’s my go-to bachelor night meal when Lyn is out having dinner with the girls. The other day, I saw it in the store but passed it up, forgetting about her night out. So, I decided to check out a few recipes online and give it a shot myself. I have to say, it turned out pretty darn good!

Ingredients  

  • 1/2 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • ¼ cup cornstarch or sub with potato starch
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil (if you’re Air Frying, sub with 2 tablespoon of oil)

Orange Chicken Sauce:

Note: I have to say when it comes to sauces etc. I usually go with full recipe amounts figure more sauce is better. This was the case since I only had 2 chicken thighs

  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice pulp strained (about 4-5 medium sized oranges)
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos (a lower sodium soy sauce substitution)
  • 1 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger powder or sub with freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or sub with potato starch
  • ½ tsp red chili flakes optional if you prefer it spicy

Optional Garnish

  • ½ green onion finely chopped
  • 1/4 large chopped green or red bell pepper
  • 1 tbsp orange zest grated
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds toasted
  • Hand full of peanuts

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Mix well and set aside.
  • Dice chicken thighs into bite size pieces, about 1.5-inch pieces (about 6-8 pcs per thigh, depending on size). Do not pat chicken thighs dry, some moisture is needed so the starch can adhere to the chicken.
  • Transfer pieces of chicken into a large bowl, followed by cornstarch. Mix to coat each piece evenly with tongs. I let sit uncovered in frig for about 4 hours
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Carefully lower coated chicken into the oil and quickly spread apart. Allow the chicken pieces to sear and form a golden crust, about 4-6 minutes on each side and let them sit avoid stir-frying them. Flip chicken over and cook on the other side until golden brown. 
  • Remove and transfer fried chicken onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Pour out any excess oil from pan.
  • In the same pan set over medium high heat, pour sauce in. Stirring consistently until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Toss in fried chicken until pieces are coated in sauce. Garnish with orange zest, sesame seeds and green onions, peanuts, whatever.
  • Serve with rice now you know why I like extra sauce!

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Sesame Ground Chicken

I had a pound of ground chicken from Butcher Box wondering what to do for supper tonight. I found a great quick recipe which we will do again. I might add some green beans or frozen/fresh peas next time.

I only had a pound so the recipe below is half of their 2 pound published recipe.

https://www.mantitlement.com/sesame-ground-chicken/

Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 pounds ground chicken breast
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil to taste
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed in with sauce before adding to pan
  • Chopped scallions and sesame seeds for garnish ( they used black seasme I ony had white which I toasted)

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook a minute longer.
  2. Add the ground chicken to the skillet and cook while breaking up into small pieces until the chicken is cooked through. Drain any drippings from the skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  3. Mix the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and chicken broth together in a bowl. Pour over the ground chicken and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer while stirring. Simmer the chicken until the sauce is thickened, taste for seasonings and serve with scallions and sesame seeds.

AI Ginger Ale BBQ sauce
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AI Ginger Ale BBQ sauce

Maria came up last month to pick up most of her stuff we had been storing for her after she moved back to Maryland. she loved ginger ale and we loved watching her drink it. Odd ya but she would take a sip and it would take her breath away, I mean really take her breath away. I’m not sure if it that sensation or the taste of it that she loved so much but either way it was fun for us. We had all this ginger ale left over from her last visit and with the 4th coming up I’m planning of gas BBQ smoke ribs, along with steaks , hot dogs and whatever anyone wants. So I asked Chat GPT for recipe and it came up with this.

Here’s a simple and delicious BBQ sauce recipe using ginger ale:

Ginger Ale BBQ Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (12 oz) ginger ale
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mustard (Dijon or yellow)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)

Instructions:

  1. Combine Ingredients:
    • In a medium saucepan, combine the ginger ale, ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and mustard. Stir well to combine.
  2. Add Spices:
    • Add the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper (if using). Mix thoroughly.
  3. Simmer:
    • Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  4. Reduce and Thicken:
    • Allow the sauce to simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until it has thickened to your desired consistency. Keep an eye on it and stir regularly.
  5. Cool and Store:
    • Once the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Transfer the sauce to a jar or airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
  6. Use:
    • Use your ginger ale BBQ sauce to baste grilled meats, as a dipping sauce, or in any recipe that calls for BBQ sauce.

Enjoy your homemade ginger ale BBQ sauce!

Here’s a link to my prize winning root beer BBQ sauce and the glaze I used for chicken thighs and Texas style BBQ sauce

Here’s the Secret to Juicy, Perfectly Cooked Chicken
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Here’s the Secret to Juicy, Perfectly Cooked Chicken

Secret to Juicy, Perfectly Cooked Chicken from Food and Wine mag

I thought everyone could use a reminder or hint, could be may age showing but I’m constantly looking this up, only to say Geesh I knew that.

Nailing a perfectly cooked, juicy chicken breast can often feel like a fluke and a reason to celebrate. However, achieving chef-level chicken every time is easier than you think and it all comes down to temperatures. A meat thermometer is your best friend when it comes to cooking chicken. An accurate measure of the internal temperature of the meat is the only surefire way to judge doneness. 

The USDA recommends cooking chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F. However, a single target temperature doesn’t reign supreme — white meat and dark meat should actually be cooked to different temperatures. Plus, home cooks often don’t take into account carryover cooking, which is likely the culprit of many dry chicken breasts. Here’s how to cook juicy chicken every time. 

What is carryover cooking?

Carryover cooking takes place when a meat is resting before cutting or serving it. In addition to allowing the juices time to redistribute, resting the meat also plays a part in doneness. Even though the meat has been removed from the heat source, the internal temperature continues to climb. This occurs because as the exterior of the meat cools, it releases heat in two directions — both externally and internally. As heat is released internally, the center of the meat gets warmer. It’s important to take carryover cooking into account since it can cause 5 to 10 degree increase in temperature which could be the difference between juicy and dry chicken. 

Our 50 Best Chicken Recipes

What temperature should white meat chicken be cooked to?

Cook lean white meat, such as breasts and wings, to an internal temperature of 155°F. Let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow carryover cooking to bring the internal temperature to 165°F. While bone-in chicken takes longer to cook than boneless chicken, it’s more forgiving and less likely to dry out if you accidentally overcook it by a few degrees. 

The Chicken Recipe That Changed My Life

What temperature should dark meat chicken be cooked to?

Dark meat, such as legs and thighs, contains more connective tissue and fat than white meat and can withstand, actually benefit from, cooking to a higher internal temperature. Connective tissue starts to break down around 150°F and continues to soften and melt as long as the temperature stays above this point. While it’s completely safe to eat dark meat chicken that’s been cooked to 165°F, the meat is actually more tender and juicy if it’s cooked to 170°F and allowed to rise to 180°F with carryover cooking. 

What temperature should a whole chicken be cooked to?

Cooking a whole chicken, whether on the grill or in the oven, can be a little more tricky because it contains both white and dark meat. Position the chicken with the legs pointed towards the hottest part of the grill or the back of the oven. Cook the chicken until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 155°F. Thighs typically take the longest to come up to temperature, so by this time, the breast will be above 160°F. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes and carryover cooking will bring the thigh temperature to 165°F. Cooking a whole chicken requires compromise — in order for the dark meat to be cooked through, the white meat will have to cook a little longer than necessary.

How to use a meat thermometer?

When measuring the internal temperature of chicken, insert an instant read meat thermometer into the thickest portion of meat. Be sure the thermometer probe is not touching a bone which can cause an inaccurate reading.

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Julia Turshen’s Sticky Chicken Recipe Is Way Better Than Takeout

Lyn gave me this to make and I’ll never pass up a stir fry recipe it was good.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (such as sambal oelek) or your favorite hot sauce (optional)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp canola oil, plus more as needed
  • 1½ lb skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

  1. In a small bowl, stir water and cornstarch until well combined. Stir in ketchup, honey, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce (if using) and garlic.
  2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat oil. Add half of chicken; season generously with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until browned all over; transfer to a plate. If needed, add another tablespoon oil to pan. Cook remaining chicken, salt and pepper. Return first batch chicken to pan along with sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is thick and coats chicken, stirring occasionally

My Suggestions: Add peanuts or cashews, maybe pineapple chunks

You might like my Quick Sort of BBQ Chicken thighs recipe

Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
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Smoked Spatchcock Chicken

We were at Market Basket and they had Spatchcock chicken on sale so I thought that for father’s day I’d try gas grill smoke. Then we went to whole foods across the street for our berry fix only to find something unusual, the chicken was 50 cents cheaper at whole foods.

Oh well a few less cherries and I made up the difference.

Anyway I marinated the chicken in buttermilk for about 3 hours. I usually have the powered form in frig. I also prefer longer buttermilk timing but whatever. If you’ve never tried the butter milk on chicken I strongly recommend.

Dried with paper towel, rubbed some olive oil and then a dry rub , extra salt and pepper.

I prepared cherry wood chips in a tin foil pouch with a few holes punched in, placed on one side of grill on top on I think they are called flavor enhancers and replace the grill. on the other side i put a foil tray with water in it, turned on the grill high on chips and medium to heat up the water on the other side. after a few minutes I turned the water side off the middle to low and kept the chips on high.

The temp stayed around 275 the smoked started billowing out and when that dissipated I slathered the chicken with some BBQ sauce. all in all it took a few hours until the temps where around right 165ish for breast and 180 for thigh. I let it sit in cutting board for a while before cutting up. I crisped up the chicken wings and Sofie, Gail and Mike came over with ribs so we heated those up. Lyn made an Orzo salad I made some corn.

Oh, It was Sofie approved

Sofie Approved

Father's day treat
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Quick sort of BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs

I recently made a turkey meatloaf with a quick BBQ glaze which both Lyn and I said will make again. I thought the glaze or similar might be good on skinless chicken thighs.

Ingredients for 5-7 skinless boneless chicken thighs

Glaze

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar , lightly packed
  • 1.5 tbsp Coconut Secret* or soy sauce , all purpose or light (NOT dark)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 clove garlics , minced
  • *We use this all the time instead of soy

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 420 F
  • Use a pan large enough to fit the thighs lying flat (not bunched up/folded)
  • Line pan with foil (make super easy clean up), place thighs in pan.
  • Whisk together Glaze. Spoon over about 2/3 of the Glaze on the surface of each (not underside), put the rest to the side.
  • Bake 15 minutes, remove pan.
  • change to broiler on high, (I remember that there never used to settings for broil ) adjust shelf to be 7-8″ from heat source.
  • Spoon pan juices over chicken. Then spoon/dab remaining Glaze onto chicken.
  • Broil chicken for 8 to 10 minutes until surface is nicely caramelized.
  • Remove and stand for a few minutes (uncovered) before serving.

Sorry we were starving I forgot to take pictures