This Spicy and Aromatic Chicken Will Become an Instant Family Favourite!
I don’t know about you, but this time of year my time really starts to evaporate! My home and kitchen become very busy in November and December.
I get really involved in doing preparations for the holidays, shopping, making gifts, decorating, etc.
Quick and easy meals, aside from my celebratory dinners, are the order of the day as they free up my time to do other things that need doing.
Jump straight down to the short recipe!
One of my family’s favorite dishes has always been this delicious devilled chicken! I don’t mind confessing that it is one of my favorite chicken dishes also.
It uses ingredients I always have in my kitchen and is a very simple make. Aside from the marinating time, I can have this on the table in about 35 to 40 minutes.
You can also get everything ready up to 24 hours ahead of time, which makes it a wonderful make ahead entrée.
This is the perfect midweek meal. You can get the chicken ready and marinating in the morning and just bang it into the oven when you get home at the end of the day.
It truly is that simple!
Let’s See the Ingredients!
One thing I love most about this recipe is the simplicity of the ingredients used. There is nothing out of the ordinary here. It uses simple cut-up chicken portions.
I like to use legs/drumsticks and thighs. Chicken thigh/drumstick quarters also work very well. I prefer skin on for this.
You marinate the chicken pieces in a simple marinade of mango chutney, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, some oil, and seasonings.
Marinate and bake. Nothing could be easier!
Prepping the Chicken + Some Poultry Safety Tips
When I am prepping the chicken, I like to trim off any obviously fatty bits and discard them. Once I have done that, I make several deep slashes in each piece, cutting down almost to the bone, using a sharp chef’s knife.
Make sure you use a clean cutting board that is used only for raw meats and poultry to avoid cross-contamination.
This is especially important when dealing with poultry as it contains several bacteria that can make you really ill if they are consumed without having been properly heated to a high temperature in order to kill them off.
You don’t want to be transferring any of these bacteria to any other foods.
I am from the “better safe than sorry” school of thought when it comes to kitchen hygiene and safety.
I always use separate cutting boards for raw meats and poultry, as well as other ingredients.
I bleach and wash my cutting boards after use and wash my knives well and dry them before putting them away.
Food safety is really important to me as it should be for everyone!
Fixing Up the Marinade
The chicken marinade is really very easy to make. I have a coffee/spice grinder that I use. I simply measure all the ingredients into the bowl/cup of my machine and then blitz everything smooth.
You could also use a small food processor or blender if you have one. Failing that, I would use a sharp knife to chop up the mango chutney as finely as you can and then simply stir all the ingredients together.
This is a lovely zippy marinade with beautiful flavors. The chutney gives it a bit of sweet, as well as heat, and the Worcestershire sauce adds a lovely tang as does the Dijon mustard, which also helps to make it nice and creamy.
You also get some heat from the cayenne pepper and powdered ginger. Oh boy but this is some good!
Pouring the Marinade over the Chicken!
Put your prepared chicken pieces into a bowl and pour the marinade over top.
I then like to use my hands to rub the marinade into the chicken turning it over in the bowl to coat it well on all sides, working some of it into those cuts I made.
Cover the bowl with some plastic cling film and then pop the bowl into the refrigerator to marinate.
You can leave it marinating all night or all day. At the very least, you will want the chicken to marinate for an hour, but obviously longer is better as the chicken will absorb more of the flavors from the marinade.
Ready to Put the Devilled Chicken in the Oven
When you are ready to cook the chicken, simply preheat the oven, and then line a large baking sheet with some aluminium foil. I do this for ease of clean up.
When the chicken is done, I only have to remove the foil and throw it away. The baking sheet cleans up very easily as nothing is stuck on, and, like I said, at this time of the year my time becomes very valuable!
You can spritz the foil with some non-stick low-fat cooking spray if you wish. Spread the chicken pieces out onto the baking sheet in a single layer, leaving plenty of space between each piece for the air to circulate.
Once the chicken is laid out on the baking sheet you can use a pastry brush to brush any remaining marinade in the bowl evenly over your chicken pieces.
Nothing goes to waste.
That’s it! Just put that baking tray into the oven and get on with the business of prepping any other dishes you might want to enjoy along with the chicken when its done or setting the table, etc.
What about a Side Dish?
We really like rice with this chicken, but it goes well with just about everything. Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, oven chips, etc.
I really like the rice pouches you can get in the frozen section of the shops that are mixed with vegetables.
The broccoli and rice one goes particularly well with this. It heats in the microwave. Once again, easy and not a lot to clean up afterwards.
I also like to serve a fresh side salad with this. There are a lot of really nice mixed green salad options already prepped and available in the markets today! Just open the bag, dump into the salad bowl and pass the dressing!
You can amp them up by adding thawed frozen peas, and some grated cheese.
Easy peasy! If you have a family with particularly hearty appetites, you might want to add some crusty rolls or a French loaf.
How to Tell When Chicken Is Done
The chicken is done when the juices run clear when pricked with a fork. This will take 35 to 40 minutes depending on the size of your chicken pieces.
You do not want any pink to remain. If your chicken still looks pink inside, return it to the oven and cook it for another 5 to 10 minutes.
This chicken truly is delicious. Its sticky, spicy, tender and filled with fabulous flavors. It is also as delicious cold as it is hot. You can bake extra to have for lunch the next day. It makes an excellent lunch when served with a salad!
One thing is for certain, your family are all going to really enjoy this fast, irresistibly tasty, lip-smacking good chicken! I guarantee!
DEVILLED CHICKEN – Short Recipe
Serves: 4 – 6
This scrumptious chicken is marinated in a deliciously spicy marinade prior to baking in a hot oven until it is glazed and succulent. Finger-licking good! It’s very simple to make as well.
Do be aware however, that it will need to marinade for at least an hour prior to baking.
Ingredients
- 6 free range, skin on, bone in chicken thighs
- 6 free range, skin on, bone in chicken drumsticks
- 1 tbsp flavorless oil
- 3 tbsp mango chutney
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- Fine sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Take the chicken pieces, and using a sharp knife cut several deep slashes into them on the top side, cutting almost down to the bone. Place into a bowl.
- Put the oil, chutney, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, ginger and some salt and pepper into a small food processor and blitz until smooth.
- Pour this over the chicken in the bowl and massage it into the chicken to coat it well on all sides. Cover and set aside to marinate for one hour minimum.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and then spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Lay the chicken pieces out onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with any marinade that is left in the bowl.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp, deeply golden, sticky and the chicken juices run clear when prodded with the tines of a fork.
- Serve hot or cold as desired.
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