Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs with Harvest Vegetables
Difficulty: Medium | Makes: 6 Servings
Cozy up with Maple Glazed Chicken Thighs and Harvest Veggies by @afullliving! Crispy chicken thighs, roasted brussels sprouts, butternut squash, red onions, and apples all come together in a savory, sticky-sweet maple glaze. This is fall comfort on a plate!
For the Harvest Veggies
- ½ medium butternut squash, cubed reserve seeds (optional)
- 1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 large honey crisp apple, cubed
- 1 large red onion, cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons Roland® Pure Avocado Oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Chicken Thighs
- 2 lbs chicken thighs skin on, bones removed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon Roland® Pure Avocado Oil
For the Maple Glaze
- 1 tablespoon Roland® Pure Avocado Oil or more as needed
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Roland® Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Roland® Organic Glaze
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add the vegetables to the sheet pan, then season with kosher salt, black pepper, dried sage, dried thyme, nutmeg, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Toss with avocado oil. Roast for about 30 minutes while you work on the chicken and the glaze
- For extra crispy chicken skin and juicy chicken, we recommend crisping up the skin before placing the chicken in the oven. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken generously with salt on both sides. Add avocado oil to the hot skillet, followed by the chicken, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Leave it undisturbed to allow browning. Don't worry about cooking the chicken through, it will finish in the oven. Set aside while you wait for the vegetables to finish roasting
- In the same skillet with rendered chicken fat, add more avocado oil as needed, along with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté garlic and pepper flakes in the fats until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in maple syrup, Dijon mustard, balsamic glaze, kosher salt, and black pepper to taste. Simmer to thicken, about 3-5 minutes, then remove from the heat
- Nestle the chicken thighs in with the vegetables, and top each of the thighs with a small amount of glaze. Return to the oven to roast until the chicken is fully cooked, and the vegetables are tender, about 20-30 minutes. We recommend roasting chicken thighs to an internal temperature of 195°F for maximum juiciness! Chicken is safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165°F, but dark meat has a lot of connective tissue that will become super tender if cooked a bit longer
- If you'd like, you can roast the seeds on a separate sheet in the oven for the last 10-15 minutes of the chicken and vegetable roasting time. the cleaned butternut squash seeds on a sheet pan, and coat with avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and toasty. Keep a close eye on the seeds, they will brown up quickly
- Add chicken to the veggie pan, top with some of the glaze, reserving most for serving. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked
- Serve chicken and veggies with extra glaze, fried sage, roasted, seeds, and parmesan
