Sweet Thai Chili Chicken With Roasted Peppers

Chicken legs roasted in a spicy-sweet Thai glaze come out tender and zingy, with a nice hint of tangy vinegar. They’re perfect with a side of simple roasted peppers, and so easy to throw together – you get all that flavor but still with the simplicity of a roasted chicken recipe.

Legs are a great option for chicken if you’re on a budget, because they’re typically cheaper than the breasts, and the great thing about Paleo is never having to worry about eating the dark meat. And don’t forget to save the bones for stock! (If you’re worried about germs, you can just freeze them for a couple weeks first).

If you’ve never cooked with tapioca flour before, you can find it in a health-food store or online. It’s perfectly Paleo-friendly (it comes from a root, not a grain), and it holds the sauce together and gives it a thicker texture, so it’s more like a glaze and less watery. That keeps all the flavor on your chicken where it belongs, instead of letting it run off onto the roasting pan.

Try this recipe if you’re getting a little tired of chicken with the typical mix of lemon and herbs, or if you just have some legs lying around you don’t know what to do with: it’s just the thing to spice things up a bit.

Sweet Thai Chili Chicken With Roasted Peppers Recipe

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Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs;
• 5 tbsp. white wine vinegar;
• 1/4 cup water;
• 2 garlic cloves, minced;
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced;
• 4 tbsp. raw honey;
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes;
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper;
• ½ tbsp. tapioca flour;
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper;

Ingredients for the roasted peppers

• 4 bell peppers, halved and seeded;
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil;
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced;
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. Season the chicken legs to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
3. In a saucepan placed over medium-high heat, bring the white wine vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, honey, red pepper flakes, and cayenne to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced a bit.
5. In a small bowl, combine the tapioca starch with 1 tbsp. of water.
6. Slowly whisk the tapioca mixture into the sauce and cook while stirring for 1 or 2 minutes.
7. Coat the chicken with the half of the sauce and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
8. Coat with the remaining sauce and roast for another 15 minutes.
9. Place the peppers, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet.
10. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic, oregano, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Roast in the oven until the flesh is tender, about 30 minutes.