This is one of those recipes that was just created out of nowhere.
I’ve been buying chicken thighs because they are sooo juicy and, I can get 12 thighs for less than $5!
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs
If you read my last post you know that I’m also trying to be healthier.
I want to cook healthier and have it still be enjoyable.
I want to cook food with flavor and zing and wow and be able to enjoy it and not feel guilty about it, too.
Now — y’all don’t worry 😉 I’m not abandoning my southern roots, I’m just going to teach myself, and hopefully y’all — how to have good comfort foods, new and traditional — and enjoy them without all as much 😉 guilt.
I am the queen (not officially, never crowned) of pantry cooking.
I get a bit of a thrill out of opening my cabinets and pantry and fridge and seeing what’s in there — it sets my mind whirring and honestly, gets my adrenaline up a bit 😉 I love playing with seasonings and textures and scents and…. sorry, I digress
Last night, I had chicken thighs and a hankerin’ for something a bit spicy and savory and sweet.
This is what I made out of what I had on hand.
I don’t have the normal step by step pictures to accompany this recipe — which, I think means I’m going to have to make it again DARN 😉 🙂
I minced 10 garlic cloves and chopped one medium yellow onion
Combine the onions and garlic with 3 chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, 1/4 C worcestershire sauce and 3/4 C apple butter.
Place 8 chicken thighs in a big plastic baggie with your prepared marinade and squish and squoosh it all around until you’ve massaged all the marinade into the thighs and they’re completely covered; place the baggie in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Turn the oven onto 425.
Line a 9X13 dish with foil, spray and then place the chicken thighs skin side up in the dish. Cover with the remaining marinade and bake 30 to 45 minutes or until the middle of the chicken reaches 165 F.
Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes so that the juices will go back into the meat. Oh, this is SO worth the wait.
Resist the urge to dive in and lick the chicken.
Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Apple Butter Chicken Thighs
Y’all think I’m kidding — I’m not.
My kitchen smelled so good this morning that I had leftover chicken for breakfast.
What? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Protein people — protein.
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs
- 3 to 5 chipotles in adobo sauce chopped (depends on your heat tolerance)
- 1 medium yellow onion rough chop
- 10 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 C worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 C apple butter
- *optional tsp of salt
Instructions
- Mince the garlic, chop the chipotles and rough chop the onion
- Combine the garlic, onion, chipotles, worcestershire and apple butter in a dish and mix.
- Put the chicken thighs in a bag and add in the marinade, squish and squoosh and massage the marinade and chicken thighs until they’re fully covered.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425
- Line a 9X13 dish with foil, spray it with cooking spray
- Place the thighs skin up in the dish and cover with the marinade
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the internal temp is 165 F
- allow to rest for 5 minutes so the juices can go back into the meat (trust me, it’s worth the wait)
Notes
Oh, whoa. This looks AMAZING, Rachel! Will be makin this post-haste.
This was one of those recipes where I actually wished that I could high five myself 😉
It’s sooo good and soo easy!
I can’t wait to hear what you think, Metalia! 🙂 <3
This looks great, Rachel. Can’t wait to try it out.
YUM! I actually have chipotles in adobo in the freezer and some homemade apple butter waiting to be used … sounds like a great meal for next week! Is it too spicy? I am pretty sensitive to spicy stuff. I might cut back to one or two chiles. 🙂
Hey lovey —
I used 3 and it didn’t have too much heat. However, if you’re sensitive.. just try 1 — you can always change it up next time!
It’s soooo good. <3
I just made chicken thighs last night and so wish I had seen this…. Anxious to try this next time, looks so great. Have a super weekend…
Great idea to use apple butter…super great source of spices and flavor!
Oh. My. God.
I am drooling.
So much fun to create your own recipes and even better when they turn out as delicious as these thighs. Chicken for breakfast? Not so strange…my Mom used to eat leftover lobster!
wow -there’s such a thing as leftover lobster??Who knew??
This looks really flavorful. I bet my kid would totally eat this!!
This recipe looks amazing! I will definitely try this!
I’m hungry already! I drag my mom for her to look upon the pictures shown above. She said: Oh, Darling! I want to cook those! You should print the recipe for me. Another recipe to be compiled in her recipe.
Do you think this would taste just as yummy with a boneless skinless chicken breast? That is all I have in the fridge right now!
Absolutely, Louisa, but you’ll have to definitely adjust the baking time!
I bought the ingredients for this today. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Did you make it, Jennifer? 🙂
These were really good! I need to figure out how to adjust the cooking time… maybe the thighs were just extra large cuz 45 min was not enough…
This sounds so good! I have pumpkin butter I need to use. I wonder if that’d be good? It’s a little out of my comfort zone with cooking but this sounds great!
Another comment to subscribe!
I just made this chicken for Sunday dinner! I used a chili pepper marinade packet instead of chiles and I think I used a bit too much. So I added more of the apple butter. This helped significantly. The thighs I used were fairly large so I covered them with foil and baked them for 45 mins and then baked uncovered for another 15 mins. They came out perfectly! Thanks Rachel:)
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I used the sauce ingredients, sans the onions, and made beef back ribs in my crock pot. YUM!
Delicious. Personally, next time I make it I will season with salt before cooking rather than after. This was a winner. Thank you.
thank you, Jill!
Excellent recipe! The only recommendation I will make is that you include some salt in the sauce mixture as the chicken really could do with that addition.
Just finished tonight’s version with a teaspoon of salt in the marinade. It made a big difference for the better.
Thanks for your heads up! We have loved this as is for the past few years, but I’ll definitely add a pinch of salt next time. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know!! Have a great week!