Sweet with Heat Baked Chicken

This recipe post is dedicated to my friend and former library bestie/co-worker Mary who noticed that my recipe posts were far and few between. I have to admit that now that I'm working full-time my desire to cook/bake has diminished but I do still dabble in the kitchen. Thanks for keeping me on my toes, Mar! Here's a recipe that I made a couple of weeks ago which Brad and I enjoyed.

I'm the first person to admit that I'm a big old wuss when it comes to spicy foods, but I enjoy the 'sweet with heat' combination. A little sass followed by some sweetness. 

That's how I roll.

For this recipe, I opted to use two tablespoons of sriracha sauce and even that, after a couple of chicken thighs (and extra sauce drizzled on my rice) had my mouth a'hummin! If you're braver than I, you may opt to up the sriracha or decrease it if you're squeamish about spiciness but still want great flavour. 

These moist chicken thighs are topped with a sauce that combines sweet brown sugar and spicy sriracha and is served over the nuttiness of basmati rice making it a delicious and easy-to-make weeknight meal.

2 tsp oil
10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper - to taste

Sauce
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
2 tbsp. Sriracha sauce (or more if you like it spicy)
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
pepper - to taste
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil then decrease heat to medium-low and allow sauce to boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until oil starts to shimmer.

Open each chicken thigh and dredge with flour mixture. Place thighs in hot skillet and brown each side until golden.

Remove chicken pieces from the skillet and place, in a single layer, into the prepared 9x13-inch baking pan. Pour sauce over the chicken and bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165F and cooked through but still juicy.

Serve over basmati rice. Drizzle with sauce, if desired.

Inspired by: Baked Sweet and Spicy Chicken from Crème de la Crumb