Hello, Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day. Today’s recipe is reminiscent of Nashville Hot Chicken. We are baking the chicken instead of frying it and we are taming the heat a bit, for a rich, enjoyable flavor. While there are several steps, each one is simple and worth the effort! Let’s get to today’s Sweet Hot Chicken.
The Summary
Today we are making Sweet Hot Chicken – a perfect weeknight dish
Be sure to find the shoppable key ingredients and equipment at the end of the post
Sweet Hot Chicken
1. Chicken Marinade
First of all, we will marinate the bone-in chicken thighs. Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a large measuring cup. Place the chicken in a large zipper-lock bag and pour the marinade on the bag. Carefully squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Spice Rub
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. After its 2-hour marinate, transfer the chicken thighs, skin side-up to a sheet pan, and pat the chicken dry. Discard the marinade.
Sprinkle the spice rub on the chicken, coating each piece liberally. Use all of the spice rub.
Bake the chicken on the center rack for 30 minutes.
3. Sweet Dill Pickle Sauce
This component is optional, but I recommend you go the distance! This creamy, tangy sauce is a great compliment to the spicy chicken.
In a medium bowl, stir together sour cream, chopped sweet pickles, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and chopped fresh dill. Add about 1 tablespoon of sweet pickle juice and stir well to fully combine. Set the Sweet Dill Pickle Sauce aside until ready to use.
4. Sweet Hot Sauce
About 5 minutes before the chicken comes out of the oven, make the Sweet Hot Sauce. In a medium sauce pan, combine 1 cup of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and ยฝ cup of unsalted butter. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Whisk in the ยผ cup of brown sugar and whisk while simmering for about 2 minutes. Cut the heat and set aside.
5. Finishing Touches
After 30 minutes in the oven, pull the chicken out and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Place the saucepan of Sweet Hot Sauce next to the sheet pan of chicken. Use tongs to carefully dunk each chicken thigh into the Sweet Hot Sauce, fully coating each thigh in the sauce – set the coated thighs back on the sheet tray as you go.
Place the sheet pan back in the oven on the center rack and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F. Transfer the remaining Sweet Hot Sauce to a small dish.
Serve the Sweet Hot Chicken with the remaining Sweet Hot Sauce and the Sweet Dill Pickle Sauce.
And that’s it! This Sweet Hot Chicken is spicy, but not overwhelmingly; tangy, sweet with just the right amount of heat to make this a thoroughly enjoyable hot chicken.
Key Ingredients and Equipment
Frank’s Red Hot Sauce | Kitchen Tong Set | Nordic Ware Sheet Pan Set | Flat Whisk |
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