NuWave Oven Italian Pepperoni Chicken Thighs

I'm always looking for new ways to use my NuWave, and cooking chicken is my favorite.  The  NuWave is a great way to roast chicken because so much of the fat is drained off during the cooking process.  The chicken remains moist and tender, but the fat melts off and into the drip pan for easy disposal.  And, by lining the drip pan with heavy duty foil, clean up is fast and easy.

So tonight we tried something new, and this is a super easy recipe for those of you looking for a new way to use your NuWave Oven. We used bone-in chicken thighs and placed two large pepperoni slices under the skin.  Next, a spoonful of garlic olive oil sauce on top added an extra layer of flavor to these perfectly cooked thighs.  Quick and simple, but full of flavor.

8  Chicken Thighs
16  Large Pepperoni Slices

Olive Oil Sauce

1/3 cup  Olive Oil
2 TB  Fresh Minced Garlic
1-1/2 tsp  Dried Oregano, crushed
1 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 tsp  Onion Powder
1/2 tsp  Salt
1/4 tsp  Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp  Cayenne Pepper

In a small glass bowl combine all sauce ingredients, stirring until blended.  Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes before applying to the chicken.

Rinse the chicken thighs under cool water and pat dry with paper towels.  Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, then slide two overlapping pepperoni slices under the skin of each thigh, replacing the skin when finished.  Place the thighs skin side down on the 4" rack leaving a bit of space between the pieces, if possible.

Place the heat setting to HI and cook for 12 minutes.  When the timer beeps, turn the thighs over, to skin side up, and brush the tops with the garlic olive oil mixture.  Reset the timer for 12 minutes on HI and press start.  When the timer beeps again check the chicken to make sure the juices are clear and the chicken is cooked through.  If more cooking time is needed, rearrange the chicken pieces to ensure even browning, and add a few extra minutes to the timer.  (The thighs we used were all a medium to large size so I added 3 extra minutes to the cooking time and they turned out beautiful.)

Place the chicken pieces on a platter, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley.  Enjoy!!