Maple-Mustard Baked Chicken

From EatingWell: July/August 2008 — Subscribe Now!

Enjoy this crunchy chicken at home for a family supper or take it along on a picnic to eat cold—no forks and knives required! For best flavor, shop for locally raised natural chicken and grade B maple syrup.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This was one of the best baked chicken recipes I have ever made. It was pretty easy and very good! Jamie, Wadesboro, NC "

8 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 3/4 hours (including 30 minutes marinating time)

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, preferably grade B
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-41/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, (thighs, drumsticks and/or breasts), skin removed, trimmed (see Tip)
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see Tip)

Preparation

Whisk mustard, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat evenly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Set a wire rack on a large baking sheet.
Combine breadcrumbs and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil on a plate. Dredge the skinned side of each chicken piece in the breadcrumbs (with drumsticks, dredge the meatier side) and arrange breaded-side up on the wire rack. Leave at least 1 inch between pieces.
Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot or let cool, refrigerate and serve chilled.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Marinate the chicken for up to 6 hours. Refrigerate the baked chicken for up to 1 day.

Tips: When using a combination of thighs, drumsticks and breasts, we recommend cutting each breast in half crosswise (before marinating) to make smaller pieces about the size of an average chicken thigh. And if you buy whole legs, be sure to separate the drumsticks and thighs. When all the pieces are about the same size, they'll all cook at the same rate.
To make 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, trim the crusts from about 3 slices of whole-wheat bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form.

Nutrition

Per serving: 325 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 117 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 45 g protein; 2 g fiber; 338 mg sodium; 366 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (33% daily value).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 lean meat