Apple Butter and Chipotle Chicken Thighs

Apple Butter and Chipotle Chicken Thighs feature a sweet and smoky apple butter and chipotle pepper marinade that caramelizes perfectly in the oven – making for an easy, comforting weeknight dinner! Spicy, sweet, sticky, and garlicky, these Apple Butter and Chipotle Chicken Thighs are the ultimate comfort food in under 300 calories. 

Baked chicken thighs are some of the easiest ways to get dinner on the table in no time. Personally, I prefer baked or roasted chicken thighs over chicken breast; chicken thighs have more fat, which equals flavor. Don’t be afraid of the fat when baking chicken. The fat not only provides loads of flavor, but helps to keep your roasted chicken thighs juicy, so they don’t dry out.

Are Apple Butter and Chipotle Chicken Thighs Spicy?

These Apple Butter and Chipotle Chicken Thighs are not very spicy at all. Personally, I can’t handle too much heat, so I use three (3) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for this chicken thigh recipe. Start with three, and test the marinade. If you want to increase the heat, add 1-2 more chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

What kind of chicken thighs should I use? 

You can easily use either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or bone-in chicken thighs with the skin on.

If you plan to enjoy these chicken thighs for dinner, and then have for lunch the next day, I’d recommend boneless, skinless thighs.

I love making a batch of Apple Butter and Chipotle Chicken Thighs for an easy weekday dinner. I like to prep the marinade the night before and then marinate the day of. It just makes dinner prep feel like it’s not as much ‘work’, you know? I can prep the night before and wash the dishes, so the following day, I’m not doing as much. Easy.

Use my homemade apple butter in the slow-cooker or buy your favorite store-brand, I won’t judge you.

What to eat with Apple Butter and Chipotle Chicken Thighs:

There are SO many sides that go well with these roasted chicken thighs!

• your favorite side of roasted veggies (broccoli, asparagus, sweet potatoes, etc)
• shaved brussels sprouts caesar salad
• this easy winter salad recipe
• brussels sprouts salad with bacon + shallots

apple butter and chipotle chicken thighs

Spicy, sweet, sticky, and garlicky! These Apple Butter and Chipotle Chicken Thighs are the ultimate comfort food in under 300 calories.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Nichole Crews

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken thighs, boneless, skinless (will have 6-8 thighs
• 3 to 5 chipotles in adobo sauce, roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup coconut aminos - or soy sauce
• ¾ cup apple butter - store-bought or homemade
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Instructions

• To a blender, or food processor combine minced garlic, chopped onion, chipotles, coconut aminos, and apple butter. Pulse until well blended.
• To a gallon sized bag, or large bowl, mix chicken thighs with marinade, salt and pepper. Fully coat chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 6 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking dish with foil or parchment paper, spray it with cooking spray. Place marinated chicken thighs skin up in baking dish.
• Bake for 30-45 minutes, until chicken is cooked, and no longer pink. Remove from oven, and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes, before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Fiber: 2g

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more chicken thigh recipes for dinner:

• spicy honey mustard chicken thighs in the skillet
• crispy turmeric chicken thighs
• roasted chicken paprika sheet pan dinner
• whole30 chicken adobo tacos

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