SHEET PAN APRICOT GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SWEET POTATOES AND BROCCOLI

Casseroles|Chicken|Ragin Cajun

Ingredients

6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 ½-4 pounds)

4-5 teaspoons Dish off the Block Ragin’ Cajun Spice Blend

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1, 18 ounce jar apricot preserves

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½-2” cubed pieces (about 1 ½ pounds)

1 teaspoon salt, divided

½ pound broccoli florets

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Trim any excess fat off the chicken thighs. Season them liberally all over, including under the skin, with the Cajun seasoning. Place them, skin-side-up, on the prepared baking sheet and drizzled the tops with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place them in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, prepare the glaze. Place the apricot preserves, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard in a large saucepan and cook, stirring, until the preserves are melted and the glaze is smooth. Set aside.

After 10 minutes, remove the thighs from the oven. Place the chopped sweet potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with 2 more tablespoons of the olive oil and add ½ teaspoon of the salt. Toss to coat. Spread the sweet potatoes in an even layer all around the chicken thighs on the baking sheet. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes more.

Remove the pan again after 10 minutes. Lightly toss the sweet potatoes to prevent any sticking. Brush the glaze liberally over the tops of the chicken thighs and dab some on the sweet potatoes. You should still have about 1/3 of the glaze left in the pan.

Add the broccoli florets to the pan in and around the sweet potatoes and chicken. Drizzle the broccoli with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until the chicken is browned and caramelized on top and the sweet potatoes are very tender. The internal temperature of the chicken should measure 165 degrees and the juices should run clear when pierced with the tip of a steak knife.

Remove the pan from the oven and brush the remaining glaze all over the tops of the thighs. Sprinkle the sesame seeds all over. DEVOUR!!

This recipe quickly became a favorite of my whole family including the kids! It is sweet and a little spicy, but you can adjust the spice level with the amount of Cajun seasoning if your family doesn’t love spice. You can even season each thigh for different preference! It’s also makes those healthy veggies especially delicious in the sweet and sticky apricot glaze. Perfect for a weeknight meal and easy one-pan clean up!