6-8 chicken thighs
salt and pepper
Spice blend:
1 T smoked paprika
1 T garlic powder
1 T Italian seasoning
1 tsp Chinese five spice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp rosemary
Sticky apple cider glaze:
4 T butter, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 c apple cider
2 T honey
1 T apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Make the spice blend. Rinse and pat the thighs dry. Salt and pepper them. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Place the thighs skin-side down and sear without moving them for 6–8 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and the fat has rendered. Flip briefly just to color the meat side, then take the pan off the heat. Coat the thighs thoroughly with the spice blend.
Put the skillet with the spice covered thighs in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the thighs are baking, make the glaze in a small saucepan: melt 2 T of the butter, sauté the minced garlic for about 30–60 seconds, then add the honey, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and mustard, and stir to incorporate. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 4–6 minutes until it thickens. Add the remaining 2 T butter off the heat for that glossy finish.
During the last 8 to 10 minutes of baking time, start spooning the glaze over the chicken. For extra stickiness and crispy skin, switch to broil for the last 1–2 minutes — watch closely so the honey in the glaze doesn’t burn.
I serve this with sweet and spicy roasted sweet potatoes or chipotle mashed sweet potatoes. Yum!
Leave a Reply