I’m going to share the best new chicken recipe I’ve tried in a long time with you today! It’s so easy and so special! It’s a party for supper!
The first time I tried it, I was baking chicken wings for a holiday party on a Sunday afternoon. I needed a glaze for the wings that would have no cane sugar and no preservatives. It was hard to find a barbecue sauce that would fill the bill, so I looked for ingredients that I already had on hand. Three ingredients are the secret to this amazing chicken: honey, lime, and garlic.
Every Christmas we find 2 cases of honey on our doorstep, a gift from the beekeeper whose hives are placed on our ranch throughout the year. Of course, our trees need the bees during the bloom, but the bee hives need a safe place when they aren’t busy with avocados, almonds, alfalfa, or other California crops. So we usually have plenty of honey for cooking. Our limes are ready now too, so I asked The Farmer to bring a few into the house. I always have minced garlic in the fridge…so I made an easy glaze from those three ingredients, plus pepper. DELISH!
The chicken wings disappeared quickly, so I decided to try the same glaze on drumsticks and thighs for supper tonight. Add a few roasted veggies, and it’s a meal! Cozy, comfort food on a cold and rainy night….or amazing appetizer for New Year’s Eve!
Honey-Lime Garlic Chicken
Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
zest and juice of one large lime (or 2-3 small ones)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 pounds raw chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, or wings) with skin intact
Directions:
Measure the honey into a small mixing bowl or glass measuring pitcher. Zest the lime and then squeeze the juice. Add the zest and juice to the honey. Add the garlic and pepper to the honey and lime. Stir briskly until the lime juice is incorporated into the honey. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a sheet pan, place the chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-45 minutes until the skin is crispy and the chicken is very well done.
Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the honey-lime-garlic glaze on top of each piece of chicken. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes. Serve warm.