HEALTHY FOOD so TASTY you'll
want to eat it EVERYDAY.
RECIPE: SWEET & SPICY OVEN-ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS
So simple it will take you no more than 5 minutes to get it into the oven...
...and then go do something else while the oven does the work for you.
Pair with a simple side salad or our American-Style Cole Slaw for some veggies and your golden.
PREP TIME: 5 min
COOK TIME: 1 hour
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CHICKEN
-
1 sachet TASTE OF LEBANON spice blend
-
3 TBSP (45ml) olive oil
-
1 TBSP (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
-
1 TBSP (15 ml) honey
-
4 large chicken thighs (on the bone, skinless)
-
Salt to season
-
½ cup (120 ml) water
OPTIONAL STURDY SALAD SIDE
OPTIONAL QUINOA SIDE
-
1 cup (200 g) dried quinoa
-
2 cups (480 ml) water
-
½ tsp salt
OPTIONAL YOGURT SAUCE
-
½ cup plain or Greek yogurt
-
1 minced garlic clove
-
1 TBSP fresh chives
-
Pinch of salt and pepper
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 180C / 350F.
2) Add TASTE OF LEBANON spice blend, olive oil and honey to a large bowl and mix well to combine.
3) Season chicken thighs with salt on both sides, add to the bowl and, using a wooden spoon, mix well to ensure all the chicken pieces are coated with the spice mixture.
4) Transfer chicken to an oven-proof baking dish.
5) Pour 1/2 cup water into the mixing bowl and swish around just to get the residual spices, then pour that water into the side of the baking dish (not over the chicken as you don’t want to wash the spice coating away).
6) Cook for 55 min in the oven, and then switch to the top heat (grill/broiler) and cook for another 5 minutes to brown the top.
STEP 6: Placing under the grill in step 6 results in the caramelized top.
STEP 3: Season chicken thighs with salt on both sides, add to the bowl and, using a wooden spoon, mix well to ensure all the chicken pieces are coated with the spice mixture.
STEP 5: Rinse bowl with water and and pour into dish with chicken
STEP 6: Transfer to oven and cook for 55 minutes
OPTIONAL: QUINOA COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Add quinoa, water and salt to a medium-sized pot, bring to a boil, cover and let simmer 12-15 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.
SERVE
Transfer to individual serving plates and spoon over a bit of the juice from the baking dish.
Pairs well with American-Style Cole Slaw (which you can make a few days ahead of time) and a side of quinoa to soak up the juices.
Made with TASTE OF LEBANON spice sachet, served with our AMERICAN-STYLE COLESLAW (click for recipe) and a side of quinoa.
...or...
Make a quick yogurt sauce by mixing together ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 TBSP fresh chives and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Transfer to individual serving plates and spoon over a bit of the juice from the baking dish.
If you have time to make a side, this also goes well with sautéed cabbage & red onion, and oven-roasted sweet-potato wedges (pictured below).
Recipe & Photo Credit: Cathy Menees
COOK'S NOTES
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN: make sure you use dark meat, as it's cooked in 30 min, but you can leave it longer to tenderise and develop flavours...which let's you be flexible on the timing (when the kids walk in, when your guests arrive...)
MEAL PLANNING NOTES
Plan 5 minutes to season the chicken with salt, mix it with the spice/oil/honey mixture, transfer to an oven dish and pour in the water.
Pairing with American-Style Cole Slaw means you can make your cole slaw a few days in advance to have on hand for this meal and others -your fresh veggies are sorted.
If you want to serve it with quinoa, plan 2-3 minutes to get it going, then hands-free 12-15 minutes time to cook. I usually start the quinoa 15 min before the chicken is done, then use that time to set the table, get out the salad, fill the water glasses and light the candles :-)
FLEXIBLE COOKING TIMES
NEED A FEW MORE HOURS HANDS FREE? follow directions above, except cook at 120C for 2 hours...longer if necessary, or at 100C for 4 hours.
