Honey Sweet & Spicy Chicken Great for Easy Entertaining

Honey Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Disclaimer: By posting this recipe (below) I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Honey Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I received a gift card to offset the expense of my ingredients.

Honey adds a wonderful sweetness to this recipe. Additionally, honey makes a perfect thick rub when combined with several flavorful spices that adheres to the chicken. The honey provides balance to this main course dish, countering the hotness from the dry ginger and chipotle and chili powders. Because honey attracts and holds moisture, it makes the cooked chicken breasts very moist and tasty.

This recipe is perfect for entertaining as it can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated up to a day ahead. It goes together very quickly. Once assembled, you then put it in the oven for a carefree, main course. It’s perfect for entertaining when you want to be able to spend more time with your guests. And the recipe can be doubled or tripled to feed a hungry crowd.

I was inspired to make this recipe from a honey-paprika chicken with roasted oranges recipe developed by J.M. Hirsch that I read about last May in my local newspaper. I differed from Hirsch’s recipe in several ways. I used two large chicken breasts with skin and ribs instead of boneless chicken thighs, half as many oranges, sweet paprika instead of smoked paprika, less salt, replaced the cumin with ground chipotle pepper, and used chicken broth instead of white wine or orange juice.

The National Honey Board has made it easy to find honey varietals in your area. Click on www.honeylocator.com to find the varieties in your region.

Here is the full recipe.

Honey Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 to 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
2 navel oranges
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground dry ginger
1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp low sodium chicken broth
2 large chicken breasts with skin and ribs (2-1/2 to 3 lbs total)

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray. Slice off and discard the ends of each orange. Cut each unpeeled orange crosswise into 3 thick slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on bottom of roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, ginger, chipotle pepper, and salt. Stir in honey and broth to form a thick paste. Spread paste thickly and completely over all sides of chicken breasts. Place coated breasts directly on top of orange slices. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Cut each chicken breast in half. Carefully squeeze cooked orange slices over chicken using tongs.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: Recipe can be doubled or tripled to yield more servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 269 calories, 4 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 76 mg cholesterol, 5 g dietary fiber, 28 g protein, and 313 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of vitamins A, C, niacin, and B-6, protein and fiber.

Cost per Serving: $1.99 Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except chicken breasts which were on sale for $1.99 per pound and oranges were on sale for $3.99 for a 4-pound bag.


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Be sure to check out these other honey-inspired dishes.