Linda's Sticky Chicken Recipe

I have made a version of sticky chicken before, but when I spotted this version from Linda Shapiro

of Meal Planning Maven, I knew I had to give this recipe a try.

I made some very minor changes to the cooking technique and instead of using individual chicken pieces I opted for using the whole chicken I already had purchased and removing the back bone and crushing the breast plate to flatten the chicken. I also removed the wing tips. But we will get to all of that in the instructions. The other minor change was that due to using a whole chicken, I mixed the marinade in a glass bowl with a wire whisk and after placing the chicken in a 2 gallon zip lock bag I poured the marinade over the chicken and gave it a good bath. About two hours into the marination process, I flipped the chicken over in the bag and continued to marinate another two hours.

As Linda mentioned in her original post, you can actually prepare your chicken and let it marinate overnight.

What I did not change at all was the recipe for the Marinade that later becomes the basting sauce!

The flavor of this sauce is so delicious. I used apple cider vinegar as that is what I

had available and also had some good maple syrup to use.

For the marinade:

• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or natural honey)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper (optional)
• chicken pieces or whole chicken, back bone removed
• cooking spray

1. If you are using a whole chicken as I did, wash under cold running water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Using a sharp knife remove the backbone. You can save the backbone in the freezer for using to make stock.
2. If you are using chicken pieces, wash under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
3. Preheat your oven to 400°.
4. Next, I heated a large roasting pan on top of my stove with a drizzle of olive oil and placed the marinated whole chicken skin side down. I crisped the skin for about 8 minutes and flipped it over. If you are using chicken pieces skip the browning on top of the stove and follow Linda's directions below. The marinade DOES NOT get discarded.
5. I baked the whole chicken skin side up in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. While that was happening I placed the marinade in a small sauce pot. When the chicken came out of the oven I spooned some of the pan drippings into the marinade and over medium high heat let the sauce bubble and reduce by half.
7. I poured the sauce over the chicken and placed it under the broiler for a few minutes. BE CAREFUL here - I should have pulled it out sooner and the chicken got a little dark. Thankfully though, it did not have a burned taste.

Below this photo is the balance of Linda's recipe which you follow if using chicken pieces.

This chicken was so incredibly flavorful and it came out so very moist and tender. A very enjoyable meal that I served with a side of rice and on sale asparagus. The chicken and marinade cost $9.37 to make and the recipe feeds 4 to 6 people. Adding in what I spent on my sides the whole meal came to $13.82, feeding four for $3.45 each or six for $2.30 each.

Here is the balance of Linda's recipe for you to follow if you are using chicken pieces:

Marinade: combine all ingredients in a glass bowl. Place the chicken and the marinade in a large 2 gallon storage bag and marinate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Chicken: Lightly coat a large baking dish with olive oil spray. Arrange chicken pieces in pan; pour marinade over. Bake for about 45 minutes, basting occasionally. Chicken is done when cooked through and juices run clear when pricked with a fork. (or 180 degrees F.) Remove chicken from oven.
To Make Sticky Sauce: Pour juices from cooked chicken into a small pot. Cook over high heat until sauce is reduced by half, coats the back of a spoon and thickens into a syrupy consistency. (usually takes 8 to 10 minutes) Brush 1/2 of the sauce over chicken, coating all sides thoroughly. Broil for just a few minutes until sauce caramelizes and chicken skin starts to crisp. Turn chicken pieces over; repeat process with remaining sauce.

I really hope you enjoy this beautiful marinated and basted Sticky Chicken as much as we did.