Sticky Maple Apple Chicken (Printable Version)

Juicy chicken thighs glazed with sweet maple and tangy apple, baked to golden goodness.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2.5 lbs)

→ Maple-Apple Glaze

02 - 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
03 - 1/3 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
04 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
05 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Apples

12 - 2 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp or Gala), cored and sliced into wedges

→ Garnish (optional)

13 - Fresh thyme sprigs

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Set oven to 400°F. Line a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until well combined.
04 - Place chicken thighs skin-side up in the baking dish. Nestle apple wedges evenly around the chicken.
05 - Pour the maple-apple glaze evenly over the chicken and apples, turning chicken once to ensure thorough coating.
06 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, basting once or twice with pan juices, until chicken is golden, sticky, and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
07 - Broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes for extra caramelization, watching carefully to prevent burning.
08 - Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Chicken thighs stay incredibly juicy no matter how long they bake, so there's real forgiveness built in.
  • The sweet-tangy glaze tastes like you spent hours on it, but the actual hands-on time is barely fifteen minutes.
  • Basting with those pan juices as they caramelize makes you feel like a real cook, even if you're just spooning sauce back over dinner.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the chicken thighs—moisture is the enemy of crispy skin, and crispy skin is what makes this dish sing.
  • If your glaze looks too thick midway through baking, thin it with a splash of apple cider or water; if it's too thin at the end, let the broiler finish what the oven started.
03 -
  • Basting is optional but genuinely worth the two minutes of effort—it's what takes this from good to memorable.
  • If the glaze seems thin after baking, pour it into a small saucepan, let it simmer for two minutes, and watch it thicken into something spoonable and gorgeous.
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