Easy Baked Chicken Wings

I came across a great recipe for lower-guilt chicken wings back some months ago, and have been making them this way ever since. The fact that these come out crispy, are baked instead of fried, and are super easy to throw together, makes me love ’em even more. I do switch up the sauce at times, using one of my favorites from a wing place back home in Rochester, New York (Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs), and also just regular barbecue sauce and honey. Whether you use the sauce in this recipe, or your favorite, I think you’ll love this cooking method and how great these wings turn out.

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings (I used wings & drumettes)
1 cup peach jam
2-3 tbsp. chili paste
1 tbsp. lime juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450° and line a baking sheet (with sides) with parchment paper. Set aside.
Trim off any extra fat from the chicken wings.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding 1-2 tablespoons of salt to the water.
Place the chicken wings in the boiling water, and boil for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the wings from the water to a wire cooling rack placed over a baking pan. Let the wings dry for a few minutes before patting them dry with paper towels (the drier the chicken wings are before you begin to bake them, the crispier they will become).
Place the chicken wings on the baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Flip the wings over, and bake an additional 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together the peach jam, chili paste and lime juice. Reserve half of the mixture in a separate bowl to be used as dipping sauce when you serve the wings.
Place the hot chicken wings in the large bowl with the remaining sauce. Stir and toss to coat the wings completely with the sauce.
Transfer the wings to a plate and serve with the reserved dipping sauce, blue cheese or ranch and some celery sticks, if desired.

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Five Ingredient Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Broccoli

I realize it’s been two whole months since I posted a recipe so am way overdue. I made this delicious meal last month, and it’s super easy to put together. I cooked the chicken on top of the stove, but you can definitely use the grill if that’s your preference.

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. chile paste (like Sambal Oelek)

Directions

Preheat burner to high.
Using 2 tbsp. olive oil, cook chicken for 4-5 minutes without moving them, then turn over and finish cooking on the other side.
Transfer chicken to a small plate or bowl and set aside.
Combine vinegar, soy sauce, honey and chile paste in small saucepan. Stirring with a whisk, bring to a boil, and continue cooking for four minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup.
Pour sauce over chicken, as much or little as desired.

Sweet and Spicy Broccoli

Ingredients

12 oz. package of broccoli
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. dark sesame oil
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions

Cook broccoli using your favorite method. (I prefer to steam)
Combine all ingredients (except broccoli) in a small bowl, stir well and drizzle over broccoli.

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Honey Chipolte BBQ Chicken Sandwich

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July with your family and/or friends, and you got to indulge in some really good eats! I came across this recipe yesterday, and it looked so good, I just had to make it. I tweaked it just slightly to suit my taste, and it came out incredibly delicious!

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (7-oz.) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup canned tomato puree*
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 sandwich rolls
1-2 slices Swiss cheese (or you favorite kind)

Directions

Combine water, 1 tsp. cumin, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Drain, and place chicken on a cutting board. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; keep warm.
Remove 1 tbsp. adobo sauce from can; set aside. Remove 1 chipotle chile from can; remove seeds, finely chop and set aside. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use. (If you want more heat, remove 2 tbsp. adobo sauce and use 2 chiles.)
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. minced garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add 1 tsp. cumin; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens to a paste-like consistency, stirring constantly. Stir in reserved 1 tbsp. adobo sauce, 1 chopped chipotle chile, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Add sliced chicken to sauce; simmer for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Preheat broiler.
Split rolls in half; arrange in a single layer, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Remove top halves of rolls from baking sheet. Divide chicken mixture evenly among bottom halves of rolls, and top chicken mixture evenly with cheese. Broil chicken-topped rolls 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven, top with roll halves and serve immediately.

* A substitution for tomato puree is to use 2 tbsp. of tomato paste mixed with 1/2 cup water.

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Mustard Maple Glazed Chicken With Apples & Leeks

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while… I did a little traveling to South Florida and went on the most amazing adventure trip to Costa Rica with a ginormous group of friends. Truly EPIC! But I’m back now, and have a scrumptious recipe to share (courtesy of my Mom). I was very anxious to see how the apples would mesh in this dish, and honestly, was blown away when it was done!

Ingredients

1 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 leek, sliced
1 crisp, sweet apple, chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. canola or olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup unsalted chicken broth
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp. coarse ground mustard
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Directions

Preheat large sauté pan on medium.
Add 1 tbsp. oil to pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in pan; cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until well browned.
Add leeks, apples, and garlic to chicken; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until leeks begin to soften. Reduce heat on pan to low.
Combine broth, syrup, mustard, vinegar, and thyme, then add to chicken; simmer 2-3 minutes or until mixture thickens and chicken is 165°F.
Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes to rest.
Slice chicken, serve and enjoy!

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Honey Roasted Peanut Crusted Chicken

I bought a jar of honey roasted peanuts about a month or so ago with the intention of eating most of them, but also wanted to use them to crust either a piece of fish or chicken. With just a couple of handfuls left, I figured I better use them in a recipe before I ate the rest. This recipe is not only delicious, but is easy and quick to prepare. Oh, and the honey mustard sauce is a copycat of Outback’s!

Ingredients (Chicken)

2 thin chicken breasts
4 tbsp. honey roasted peanuts, finely chopped
2 tbsp. panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Ingredients (Honey Mustard Sauce)

2 tbsp. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. mayonnaise (I use light)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine the ingredients for honey mustard sauce, mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.
Crush/chop peanuts using a mortar & pestle or in a food processor so the pieces are around the same size of the panko.
Pour the chopped peanuts into a shallow bowl and add the panko.
In a small bowl, mix together the teaspoon of mayo and teaspoon of Dijon until well combined.
Put chicken in baking dish, season with a little salt and pepper, and spread the Dijon/mayo evenly over both chicken breasts.
Sprinkle peanut/panko crumbs on chicken.
Place in oven and cook for 25 minutes.
Serve with honey mustard sauce.

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Pub-Style Chicken and Caramelized Onions with Spinach

I am always on the lookout for new recipes which are both easy and delicious, and this one definitely fits the bill. I have to thank my Mom for sharing it with me, as it has quickly become my favorite chicken dish. And when I tell you it’s delicious, that’s really an understatement. Seriously, it is the bomb! This recipe calls for fresh spinach, but I opted to go with creamed spinach simply because I love it.

Ingredients

Chicken

3 oz. reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tbsp. molasses
1 tbsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. pepper, divided
large zip-top bag
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups sliced sweet yellow or white onions
1 tbsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2/3 cup french-fried onions
1/4 cup refrigerated Caesar dressing
1/4 cup light honey mustard dressing

Spinach

1 bag fresh spinach (6–9 oz)
1 tbsp. garlic herb butter
1/2 tsp. Bakery bread-dip seasoning (Parmesan blend)

I had a hard time finding the bread-dip seasoning so I made my own using 1 tsp. Parmesan, 1/2 tsp. each: oregano, garlic powder, and kosher salt, 1/4 tsp. each: dried basil, parsley flakes and onion powder, and 1/8 tsp. each: thyme and tarragon. Grind spices until fine, then add the Parmesan to spices and mix well. Store in container until ready to use.

Directions

Chicken

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Combine soy sauce, molasses, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
Place mixture in bag and add chicken, turning to coat. Let stand at least 10 minutes (the longer, the better) or overnight in the fridge to marinate.
Toss fresh onions with oil, salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper.
Place onions in 13 x 9-inch baking dish; top with chicken.
Bake 20–25 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F.
Top chicken with crispy onions and cheese; bake 2–3 more minutes or until cheese melts.
Combine both dressings; microwave on HIGH 20–30 seconds or until hot. Drizzle sauce over chicken and serve.

Spinach

Place spinach in microwave-safe bowl and cover; microwave on HIGH 4–5 minutes or until tender. Drain, if needed.
Stir in butter and seasoning, and serve.

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Homemade Version of Outback’s Alice Springs Chicken

While I was searching for honey mustard dressing recipes a couple of weeks ago, I kept seeing Alice Springs chicken in the results, and had no idea what that was all about. Obviously, I had to check it out, and discovered it’s a “famous” dish served at Outback Steakhouse. I mean, I know all about the Bloomin’ Onion, but hadn’t heard of this before, but am SOOO glad that I stumbled upon it! It definitely packs a bunch with amazing flavor!!

Ingredients

Honey Mustard Marinade

1/2 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. Canola oil
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tbsp. Canola oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
8 slices of bacon, cooked
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Combine mustard, honey, 1 tsp. oil and lemon juice in a bowl using an electric mixer. Mix for about 30 seconds.
Place chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour about 2/3 of marinade over chicken. Marinate in fridge for about 2 hours (or longer, if desired). Chill remaining marinade for later use.
After chicken has marinated, preheat over to 375° F.
Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat, remove chicken from bag and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Throw away bag with marinade in it. Remove from heat, and place chicken into a baking dish.
In a small frying pan, sauté the mushrooms in a little butter.
Brush each of the chicken breasts with the reserved honey mustard marinade, saving a little to serve on the side when the dish is finished.
Season chicken with some salt, pepper and a dash of paprika.
Place two pieces of cooked bacon crosswise on top of each chicken breast.
Spoon 1/4 of the mushrooms on top of the bacon.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, then 1/4 cup of Mozzarella on top of each piece of chicken.
Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted and bubbly.

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Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Over the weekend, I found a dish that I planned on making… wrote out my grocery list, then… stumbled upon another recipe I had saved a while back that intrigued me so much I decided to make that instead (this recipe). If you like enchiladas and buffalo wing sauce, then you’ll surely love this! It’s a relatively easy recipe once you have the chicken cooked and ready to go. A way to simplify the process is to pick up a roasted chicken from the grocery story and simply shred some of it to use. I chose to poach my chicken since I had some chicken tenders in the fridge, which results in very juicy and tasty meat (instructions below). But feel free to cook the chicken (if you go that route) however it suits you.

Ingredients

8 large tortillas
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 cups red enchilada sauce (from 28 oz. can)
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (+ more depending on your taste buds)
1 cup shredded Mexican Four cheese blend
4 oz. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
5 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Pour enchilada sauce in a bowl and begin by whisking in 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce. Taste and adjust according to your desired level of heat – I added in 1/2 cup total. Set aside.
Add shredded chicken to a bowl with 2 chopped green onions and 1/2 cup Mexican cheese. Pour in about a 1/2 cup of enchilada/buffalo sauce mixture and mix thoroughly. Stir until mixture comes together.
Pour a drizzle of enchilada/buffalo sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Take each tortilla and fill it with a few heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Roll each up and set it in the baking dish, seam side down.
Pour another 1/2 cup or more of enchilada/buffalo sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining Mexican cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
After taking out of the oven, immediately add crumbled gorgonzola on top.
Garnish with the remaining onions and cilantro, and serve.
Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, and use if reheating enchiladas.

* To poach chicken:

Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders. Place the chicken at the bottom of a wide pan. Don’t overcrowd them.
Add enough water so it just barely covers the chicken.
Add some fresh herbs like thyme or tarragon, along with a bay leaf and a few whole black peppercorns, in addition to about a tablespoon of Kosher salt. (For this recipe, I added some Seasoning Salt and chopped onion flakes, plus the salt.)
Bring the water to a boil, then lower it to a simmer. You should see a few gentle bubbles rise up from time to time, but definitely not a full rolling boil.
Simmer for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the pot tightly and let the chicken breasts stand in the hot water for another 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how big the chicken breasts/tenders are.
After 15 to 20 minutes, take the chicken out and pull/shred/chop them into pieces..

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Honey Bunches of Oats Chicken

I’m always looking for new (and easy) ways to make baked chicken, and have experimented recently in the kitchen with crackers and cereal. Last night, it was Honey Bunches of Oats, and I am so pleased with how it turned out. And talk about simple… only three ingredients!!

Ingredients

1 lb. thin chicken breast or tenders
1 egg
2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, finely crushed

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F.
Lightly beat egg in a shallow bowl.
Put cereal in a Ziploc bag, crush with rolling pin, or your hands, then transfer to a plate or bowl.
Dip chicken in egg, turning to evenly coat.
Roll chicken in cereal crumbs on both sides.
Place in a baking dish, or on a cookie sheet, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.

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Sweet and Spicy Baked Chicken Wings

On a recent episode of The Chew, Daphne Oz and Mario Batali had a chicken wing cook-off, and after seeing Daphne’s ingredients (and that hers were baked), I had to try them right away. Needless to say, they did not disappoint. I love the fact that the marinade on these babies caramelize while baking, which makes them a bit crispy. Oh, and the dipping sauce… yummy!!! Since I’m a huge fan of anything sweet, the sauce was perfect for me, but if you’d like it with a little more twang, reduce the half cup of honey by a couple of tablespoons (1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons).

Ingredients

For the Wings:

2 dozen chicken drumettes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves (minced)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dipping Sauce:

1 tbsp. sambal chili paste
1/2 cup Honey
2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. grated ginger

Directions

Combine all the ingredients for the drumettes in a bowl and toss the wings to coat.
Place in the refrigerator and marinate a minimum of two hours and preferably over night.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove drumettes from the marinade and season with salt and pepper.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the drumettes so they are not touching. Brush generously with the leftover marinade.
Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until deep golden brown, rotating the tray half way through and flipping the wings over.
While chicken is baking, combine all of the dipping ingredients and whisk together.
Serve the drumettes with the dipping sauce.

Shown with my guiltless blue cheese dressing.

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