Maple Chicken Thighs are a flavoursome savoury dish in which skinless chicken thighs are seasoned with the sweetness of maple, the strength of soy sauce and the sourness of apple cider vinegar.
The result is the exuberance of many authentic rich flavours in a single dish. Pair it with rice or bread for a wholesome lunch or dinner.
Related: Baked Bone-In Chicken Thighs and Coronation Chicken Sandwich.
Jump to:
Suppose you’re somebody who enjoys a wide palate range or are cooking for someone with a sophisticated palate. In this case, these Maple Chicken Thighs are bound to impress.
What are Maple Chicken Thighs?
Named after the strongest flavour in the lot – maple, Maple Chicken Thighs are, in reality, the culmination of many different flavours, and not just one. Flavours like apple cider, soy sauce, olive oil, and hoisin sauce are poured into a skillet. The chicken is left simmering in this stunning sauce until it thickens and caramelizes. That’s it! That’s all there is to making this zesty dish.
Why does this recipe work?
- This recipe is one of the best methods for cooking chicken thighs.
- Easy chicken dinner for the whole family.
- A juicy and delicious dish that goes well with any side.
- Easy way to cook boneless skinless chicken thighs with simple ingredients.
- Perfect for busy weeknight dinners, the dish will be ready in less than 30 minutes.
What is in the Maple Chicken Thighs?
To make this delicate dish at home, you’ll need to gather the following ingredients:
- Chicken thighs: Boneless and skinless
- Olive oil: Extra virgin
- Pure maple syrup: Of your favourite brand
- Apple cider vinegar: Just what you have at home
- Soy sauce: Just what you have at home
- Hoisin sauce: Order online or look for it in an Asian food aisle or store
- Fresh parsley: Chop them up beforehand for garnishing at the end
How to make Honey Maple Chicken Thighs?
Firstly, you’d like to take out your chicken thighs and give them a nice rinse. After which, dry the chicken with a paper towel and proceed to season it with some salt and black pepper.
In a small bowl, start prepping the chicken sauce. Add the soy sauce, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and hoisin sauce until well combined. Set this bowl aside for later.
Now place a skillet over high heat, and heat the olive oil. Add in the chicken thighs and let them cook in the oil on medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Now, pour the bowl of maple syrup mixture we had set aside earlier on top of the chicken. Let this sauce cook with the chicken for 5-6 minutes more. Probably, until the sauce thickens and caramelizes. The thighs should look glazed well with the sauce. Once done, turn off the heat and garnish with some fresh parsley.
This easy, intricate combination of flavours is ready to impress a few, if not all!
Top Tips!
- If you want to avoid over or undercooking, watch the chicken until it is no longer pink in the centre. That’s usually a good way to eyeball that it is done. Additionally, chicken thighs are quite forgiving, it’s close to impossible to overcook them!
- Let the sauce thicken, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. That’s the consistency you want for these maple-glazed chicken thighs.
Recipe Variations
- If you’d like an addition of carbs, you can add sweet potatoes or regular potatoes along with the chicken. They’re a great addition to this recipe, plus they’ll make it a complete meal.
- In addition to fresh parsley for garnishing, you can also use fresh thyme, marjoram, fresh rosemary, or any other fresh herbs in the sauce for extra freshness.
- You can alter the sweetness or tanginess of the recipe according to your taste through the addition of some ingredients. Dijon mustard or regular mustard, garlic, red onions, etc. will all bring some strong flavours and help alter the flavouring of the recipe.
- If you like to make spicy maple chicken thighs, just add a long red chili to the sauce or some crushed bell peppers, or chilli flakes.
- Though real Maple syrup is the core ingredient, you may find it hard to find. In this case, using brown sugar, honey, or a combination of both is a great substitute.
- For an even tangier flavour, some people like to add lemon or orange juice to these honey maple-glazed chicken thighs.
Serving Suggestions
These maple-glazed chicken thighs are perfect for consuming on their own. Slowly enjoy its unique flavours uninterrupted by anything else. Or if you’d like to make it more wholesome, there are so many great ways to serve this, depending on what time of the day you’re having this delicacy. Here are some suggestions:
- Serve these Maple Chicken Thighs with some rice, fresh bread and green beans on the side to make it a full-fledged meal.
- Add in some Brussels sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes or vegetables, and it’ll make for a great healthy lunch or dinner. Be sure to adjust the measurement of sauces accordingly.
- For an even healthier option, serve this alongside some crunchy green salad bowl. If you have a hard time taking in your greens, adding a few pieces of this maple chicken on the side every time you have a salad will be a great push.
Storage
Make ahead of time: This recipe doesn’t take a long time to whip up if you’ve got all the ingredients in your home. Still, you can prepare the sauce mix ahead of time and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for a day. That way, you just need to simmer the olive oil, sauce mix and chicken together. Preparing in advance will cut down some of your cooking time on the day of serving.
Store: These maple chicken thighs will last in the fridge for a good 4 days, without any change in taste.
Freeze: If these Maple Chicken Thighs were to be frozen, they can last a good 6 months. That way, you can cook a big batch in advance. Then, take out a couple of pieces and defrost them whenever you’d like.
To reheat: Whenever you would like to consume the maple chicken, just take it out of the freezer. Defrost the chicken in the oven or microwave until the desired temperature is reached.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you absolutely can! We cooked them in a skillet over the stovetop, but that’s not necessarily the best way to go about it. You can grill these as well; those lines add an extra smokiness that a skillet may not achieve. And, of course, you can even bake them. For baking them, just place these in the oven at 400F for 30 to 40 minutes. For both methods, just ensure that you dip and coat them in the sauces plenty of times before cooking.
Chicken thighs have a ton of connective tissues and fat. The connective tissues or tendons dissolve when they’re cooked at high temperatures. These connective tissues usually dissolve into a squishy gelatine, which makes the chicken appear juicy and soft.
Yes, absolutely! You can use this to glaze lots of different meats, like steak, other parts of chicken, lamb etc. And they can be of varying kinds as well – with bone or without. Just make sure that different meats need to be cooked differently (some longer than others). Let us know, how it goes. We love it when you try to make any of our recipes your own.
Yes, you can. However, you need to adjust the cooking time accordingly, as chicken with bones will take much time to cook.
Yes, preheat your air fryer to 400°F / 200°C and air fry for 9-10 minutes on each side.
Recipes you may like
- Easy Lamb Tikka Masala Recipe
- Beef Yaki Udon
- Creamy Lamb Korma - Indian Recipe
- Easy Chicken Pasanda Recipe
- Easy Mushroom Fried Rice - Chinese Recipe
Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to recipe all the latest recipes once published! You can also follow Healthy Life Trainer on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Recipe Card
Maple Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 10 chicken thighs , boneless skinless
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley , chopped
Instructions
- Dry the chicken with a paper towel, then season with salt.
- In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, maple syrup, hoisin sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat, add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Add the sauce and keep cooking for 5-6 minutes more until the sauce thickens and caramelizes.
- Turn off the heat and serve!
Notes
- If you want to avoid over or undercooking, watch the chicken until it is no longer pink in the centre. That’s usually a good way to eyeball that it is done. Additionally, chicken thighs are quite forgiving, it’s close to impossible to overcook them!
- Let the sauce thicken, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. That’s the consistency you want for these maple-glazed chicken thighs.
Variations
- If you’d like an addition of carbs, you can add sweet potatoes or regular potatoes along with the chicken. They’re a great addition to this recipe, plus they’ll make it a complete meal.
- In addition to fresh parsley for garnishing, you can also use fresh thyme, marjoram, fresh rosemary, or any other fresh herbs in the sauce for extra freshness.
- You can alter the sweetness or tanginess of the recipe according to your taste through the addition of some ingredients. Dijon mustard or regular mustard, garlic, red onions, etc. will all bring some strong flavours and help alter the flavouring of the recipe.
- If you like to make spicy maple chicken thighs, just add a long red chili to the sauce or some crushed bell peppers or chilli flakes.
- Though real Maple syrup is the core ingredient, you may find it hard to find. In this case, using brown sugar, honey, or a combination of both is a great substitute.
- For an even tangier flavour, some people like to add lemon or orange juice to these honey maple-glazed chicken thighs.
Missy
I added lemon instead of vinegar and the chicken was delicious.
Micaela
Wow, honey and maple syrup; this recipe must be so delicious.