RecipeTin Eats x Good Food: Maple Christmas glazed chicken

Name: RecipeTin Eats x Good Food: Maple Christmas glazed chicken
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 1.5kg chicken thigh fillets (boneless, skin off); canola oil, for barbecue; orange slices, optional garnish

Nagi Maehashi

December 5, 2022

Barbecued glazed chicken for Christmas.Nagi Maehashi

Time:< 30 minsServes:8

This is one the whole family will love. Kids go mad for the sweet sticky glaze. Grown-ups go mad for the beautiful combination of holiday spices and subtle citrus flavour. I love using maple syrup in this for a touch of woody sweetness, though you can use honey if you prefer. But whatever you do, please use real orange juice. Not that reconstituted stuff!

Ingredients

1.5kg chicken thigh fillets (boneless, skin off)
canola oil, for barbecue
orange slices, optional garnish

Maple marinade

1¼ cup orange juice (fresh, no added sugar)
⅔ cup maple syrup (substitute honey)
⅔ cup apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
½ cup (100g) brown sugar, tightly packed
4½ tbsp Dijon mustard
2½ tbsp olive oil
4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp ground allspice (or mixed spice)
2 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp cooking salt
1¼ tsp black pepper

Method

1. Mix marinade ingredients in a saucepan. Measure 1 cup of the marinade and place in a ziplock bag with the chicken. Massage to coat then leave to marinate for 24 hours in the fridge.
2. To make glaze, turn the stove on medium high and simmer remaining marinade for 15 minutes until it becomes a thick syrup that will coat your chicken (reduces from 550ml to 300ml or 1¼ cups).
3. Brush the barbecue hotplate or grill with oil then preheat to medium high. Remove chicken from marinade and cook for 4 minutes on each side until it is almost cooked through.
4. Brush one side of the chicken generously with the glaze. Turn and cook for 2 minutes while you baste the other side generously with the glaze. Then turn and cook for 2 minutes. The internal temperature should be 72C (it will rise to 76C as it rests).
5. Remove onto a plate. Rest for 3 minutes. Pour over any remaining glaze and garnish with fresh slices of orange for a splash of festive colour, if desired.
Notes
For chicken breast, split in half horizontally to form 2 thin steaks. Proceed with recipe as written but only cook the breast for 2 minutes on each side, then 1 minute on each side after glazing.
To prepare ahead, make the glaze, cool and put in a jar. Then take the glaze and marinated chicken to the grilling venue of choice. Don't forget a basting brush!
The recipe can also be cooked on the good ole' stovetop, best in a non-stick frying pan.
This recipe features in RecipeTin Eats' barbecue Christmas menu