BBQ Chicken Thighs
I am a Texas girl & I know good BBQ. Like the time my husband made me stand in line for almost 5 hours to get a tray full of BBQ from a famous little joint in Austin - no I am not kidding. But if you have ever longed for a genuine BBQ tasting chicken but don't have the time to smoke your meat for hours {or stand in line}, this dish is what you want.
This BBQ Chicken has a very authentic flavor & is done in less than 45 minutes, start to finish, including the sauce. Now I understand that there are a ton of options for bottled BBQ sauce, but have you ever read the ingredients on the back of those bottles? You might be shocked to find that the majority of them are made with high fructose corn syrup & are loaded with preservatives.
I also know there are options for organic, whole foods sauces out there & that is wonderful, but the cost of them isn't. So why not just make your own for a fraction of the price of the bottled stuff? This sauce is super fast to make & gives you a sense of accomplishment in knowing that you & those you love are being fed the best.
BBQ Chicken Thighs
ingredients
for the chicken:
8-10 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon each: arrowroot flour, chili powder,
smoked paprika & salt
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder &
black pepper
1/2 teaspoon each: allspice & dry mustard
for the sauce:
6 ounce can tomato paste
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon seasoning mix from chicken {see directions}
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
directions
preheat oven to 400
mix the arrowroot flour & all spices for the chicken into a medium to large size mixing bowl
remove 1 heaping tablespoon of spice mixture & set aside to be used in the sauce
pat the chicken thighs to make sure they are not wet & toss them in the large bowl of seasoning mix, coating all the pieces really well
place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet & lay the chicken pieces in one layer.
bake 20 minutes
while the chicken is baking, place all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender. blend on high for about 10-15 seconds until completely mixed up.
once chicken has baked for 20 minutes, turn thighs over & baste with BBQ sauce. bake another 7 minutes. check to be sure chicken is done & serve with remaining sauce for dipping.