Sticky Maple Apple Chicken (Printer-friendly)

Tender chicken thighs baked with a sweet maple-apple glaze and aromatic herbs for a comforting dish.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2.5 lbs)

→ Maple-Apple Glaze

02 - 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
03 - 1/3 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
04 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
05 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
09 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
11 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Apples

12 - 2 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Gala), cored and sliced into wedges

→ Garnish (optional)

13 - Fresh thyme sprigs

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Pat chicken thighs dry using paper towels. Season both sides lightly with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until well combined.
04 - Place chicken thighs skin-side up in the prepared baking dish. Nestle apple wedges evenly around the chicken pieces.
05 - Pour the maple-apple glaze evenly over chicken and apples, turning the chicken once to coat all sides thoroughly.
06 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, basting once or twice with pan juices, until chicken is golden, sticky, and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
07 - For extra caramelization, broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes while watching carefully to avoid burning.
08 - Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs if desired.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • Chicken thighs stay impossibly juicy because the skin gets sticky and golden while the meat stays tender underneath.
  • The glaze balances sweet maple with sharp apple cider vinegar in a way that feels sophisticated but comes together in five minutes.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free without tasting like a compromise.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry—wet skin will never get crispy no matter how hot your oven is.
  • The glaze thickens and concentrates as it bakes and reduces, so if it looks thin at first, trust the process; it'll cling beautifully by the end.
  • Apple cider vinegar is not optional; without it the dish tastes one-note and heavy, but with it everything snaps into focus.
03 -
  • Use a basting brush or spoon to coat the chicken generously during cooking; this is what builds that sticky, caramelized exterior.
  • If your apples start browning too quickly, tent the dish loosely with foil for the first twenty minutes, then uncover for the final stretch.
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