Sweet and Spicy Chicken

I’m always looking for new chicken recipes and here’s one that has some sweetness from a touch of honey, agave, maple or date syrup, some spice from the cumin and ground pepper, and a touch of citrus from orange. I was pleasantly surprised at that hint of orange in the flavor, very umami! And quite an easy recipe to make. Any chicken parts can be used however, I would recommend not mixing them so either thighs, drumsticks, or breasts. Serves 2-4.

In a 1 gallon food storage bag (or small mixing bowl, mix together:

1/2 cup sugar free ketchup (such as Organicville)

1/4 cup agave, honey, maple or date syrup

1 teaspoon orange zest (zest from 1 medium orange)

1/3 cup orange juice (from one orange)

1 teaspoon Herbamare (don’t have it? Use 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite herb mix)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Dash of hot sauce (optional)*

Swish around in the bag (please zip-lock it first!) until combined.

Add:

6-8 chicken parts

Again swish around to be sure the chicken is thoroughly immersed in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but I left mine for about 2 hours. [If you’re unsure about using the marinade that the chicken sat in, instead of mixing it in the bag, use a small bowl and when you add the chicken to the bag, only add half the marinade and reserve the other half to pour over the chicken for baking.]

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and dump the entire contents of the bag into it, making sure the chicken is in a single layer in the dish. Bake 30-40 minutes depending on the size of your chicken pieces or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165-170 degrees.