Apple Butter Chicken

Homemade Paleo apple butter is very tasty, but without crackers and muffins to smear it on, it’s not always obvious how to use it. “Eat it off the spoon” works for about half the jar, but it’s nice to have some other options, too. Here’s one way to get the flavor in without a sugar overload: slow-cooker apple butter chicken. Just a pinch of spicy sauce and a little Dijon mustard add some complexity to the flavor, but they still don’t make the recipe in-your-face spicy, just a little warmer.

If you don’t have any apple butter and don’t want to make some just for this, you could also just substitute with apple sauce. Most stores will have at least one Paleo-friendly version; just be vigilant about the labels.

You can adjust this one to fit a workday schedule (cook on low while you’re at work) or a weekend (cook on high between mid-afternoon and dinner). Maybe try it with roasted eggplant sprinkled with just a dash of paprika, or some braised greens for a plate full of comfort food.

Apple Butter Chicken Recipe

SERVES: 4 PREP: 15 min. COOK: 4h to 8h.

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Ingredients

• 3 to 4 lbs. chicken thighs
• 2 cups homemade apple butter
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. coconut aminos
• 1 tsp. sriracha or hot pepper sauce
• 1 tsp. paprika
• Cooking fat
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a bowl, combine the apple butter, Dijon mustard, coconut aminos, hot pepper sauce, paprika, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Melt some cooking fat in a skillet over high heat. Brown the chicken thighs for 3 to 4 minutes per side, and place in the slow cooker.
3. Pour the apple butter sauce all the over the chicken and stir until well coated.
4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low about 8 hours, or on high for about 4 hours.