Baked alongside tender fall apples in a sweet and spicy chili maple glaze, these maple chicken thighs are a quick and flavorful fall dinner for any occasion.
Just a good ol’ fall chicken dinner coming in to make your Monday amazing! Dinner just can’t possibly get any better than this.
Except if you were to pair this chicken with a mess of these potatoes, OMG.
Regardless, your dinner rotation needs this easy chicken masterpiece on it like yesterday. I’m talking sweet with just a touch of heat maple sauce smothering juicy thighs and roasted alongside a mess of the prettiest fall apples.
It ticks all the fall boxes and wow, does it ever impress while being easy as heck at the same time.
We call that a slam dunk in dinner land.
These Chicken Thighs feature…
- Juicy thighs and tender baked apples
- A sweet and spicy chili maple sauce
- Ready in under an hour in only one pan
Making the Chicken Thighs
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Chicken thighs
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Chili flakes
- Maple syrup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Apples
- Thyme
Choosing Your Chicken
I recommend using bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe. This cut of chicken is best suited for this dish because it cooks up with perfectly crispy skin and a very juicy texture inside.
Boneless chicken thighs may also be used in this recipe, however, they will cook up quite a bit faster than bone-in thighs and you will need to keep an eye on them while they bake to avoid overcooking.
If you don’t have thighs on hand, boneless skinless chicken breasts will also work great in this recipe. They won’t cook up quite as juicy as thighs but they will still be delicious.
Tips for Perfect Maple Chicken Thighs
- Pan sear chicken thighs – this gets you that signature crispy skin we all know and love about bone-in chicken thighs. This won’t cook the chicken fully, but it will finish cooking with the apples in the oven later.
- Build sauce in same pan – drain all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings out of the pan and use this as a base to build your sauce. The fond that remains in the pan will contribute a lot of flavor to the sauce.
- Finish off chicken in oven – this will finish cooking the chicken and tenderize the apples.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this chicken.
- Adjust heat level – for a mild flavor, use 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or skip it entirely. For a spicy version, start with 1 teaspoon chili flakes and work your way up to taste. Be aware that some chili flake brands may be spicier than others.
- Roast with root vegetables – try roasting diced carrot, sweet potato, turnips, or beets alongside apples. Be aware that cook time may vary depending on the vegetables you use.
- Use half apples half pears – a fun option if you like pears!
Serving Suggestions
This chicken is great served alongside a variety of dishes but we especially love it served with roast vegetables, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, or a big salad.
There’s really no occasion this chicken wouldn’t be a perfect addition for! Lemme tell you, it’s the spicy maple glaze that really seals the deal here. I mean, OMG it belongs on literally everything.
Pure fall in a pan, folks!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More fall dinner favorites to add to your menu!
Chili Maple Chicken Thighs with Apples
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 thighs)
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 teaspoons red pepper chili flakes
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 medium apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Season chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and swirl to coat pan.
- Place chicken thighs skin-side down in pan and sear on both sides until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Drain all but 1 tablespoon drippings out of pan and allow pan to cool slightly. Once pan is slightly cooled down, turn burner on to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and swirl to coat pan. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add maple syrup, vinegar, and mustard to pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer 3-5 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced, stirring occasionally.
- Nestle chicken back into pan and spoon sauce over top. Arrange apples around chicken and top with fresh thyme.
- Bake chicken and apples at 400F 15-20 minutes until chicken registers 165F and apples are tender. Serve chicken warm with extra sauce from pan on top and enjoy!
Juliet says
This was delicious. A new favorite. I paired with cauliflower, parsnip, yellow sweet potato steamed then pureed in a food processor with salt, pepper, garlic powder, butter and milk. The combination was a perfect blend of flavors.
Sarah says
That sounds like a great pairing, Juliet! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and review. 🙂