Paprika Chicken Thighs with Wild Rice & Green Beans

Some dinners don’t need to be complicated to feel nourishing and satisfying and this lemon paprika chicken is proof of that. This is the kind of meal you make on a busy weeknight when you still want something homemade, flavorful, and balanced without pulling out ten pans or a long ingredient list.

The chicken thighs are coated generously in warm paprika, a touch of crushed red pepper for heat, sage for depth, and finished with fresh lemon juice. As they bake, the spices bloom, the skin crisps slightly, and the lemon keeps everything juicy and bright. Chicken thighs are especially forgiving, which makes this recipe hard to mess up even if you’re cooking after a long day.

To round out the meal, I pair it with a hearty brown-black wild rice blend. It adds fiber, texture, and a nutty flavor that soaks up all the pan juices beautifully. A little olive oil after cooking keeps it fluffy and prevents sticking. The green beans are as simple as it gets: straight from frozen, tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, then roasted until tender with lightly caramelized edges. No steaming, no fuss just easy vegetables that actually taste good.

This is one of those dinners that feels grounding. Protein, fiber, veggies, and real flavor nothing trendy, nothing complicated, just solid food that works.