Are you looking for a simple chicken recipe that’s new and different? Look no further than Sweet and Spicy Chicken! The spicy in this case is not hot, but a surprisingly different flavor kick from that warm and pungent spice in the back of your cupboard – cloves, yes, cloves. Intriguing, no?
This recipe comes from one very old cookbook I acquired in the ’90s. Back in my early days of housekeeping, I had dog-eared several pages in a collection without pictures, but this is the only one that I ever prepared. Eventually, the cookbook ended up in a donate pile, but only after I had carefully copied this gem to stash in my recipe box.
I love the flavor of this sweet and tangy tomato sauce! It’s the only recipe I have that uses minced onions, another item you may have hiding in your spice cupboard. I’m sure you could chop some real onions instead, but I kinda like skipping the onion tears and speeding my way through dinner prep.
This chicken breast main dish is made in a cooking style I like to call “throw down chicken”. Essentially, you trim chicken breasts, place in a baking dish, cover with toppings, and bake in the oven. Easy peasy.
Sweet and Spicy Chicken
Not a hot spicy, just a delicious flavor of tangy tomato sweetened with onion and cloves.
Ingredients
- 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-21/2 lbs)
- 1 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. dried cloves
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Arrange chicken in a 9x9" or 9x13" baking dish so that pieces do not touch. I usually use one large chicken breast (1 1/2lbs), sliced through the thickness so that I have two thin breasts and baked in a square pan. I have also used the same size recipe on 4 small breast pieces, in a larger pan.
- Stir remaining ingredients together and pour over chicken.
- Bake, uncovered until internal temperature reaches 165F degrees. About 35 minutes for thin breasts and up to 50 minutes for thick breasts.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 324Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 639mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 0gSugar: 28gProtein: 38g
