Baked Chicken With Cinnamon Recipe

Chicken with cinnamon may seem like a strange combination, but let us tell you ... if you haven't tried it, it's a must. This recipe is excellent with either chicken breasts or chicken thighs, and either way, it's packed full of flavor. Another plus about this recipe is that it doesn't require a whole lot of work or time. Another added bonus? It only requires a few ingredients, and it won't be costly.

Erin Johnson is the mastermind behind this dish, and you'll want to thank her after you try it. Johnson shares that her favorite part of the recipe is that it is "both really delicious and smells so good! It's the kind of dinner that has people commenting on how good it smells when they walk into the kitchen." 

Without further ado, keep scrolling to find out how to make this yummy chicken dish that's great for a family meal or to impress some friends for dinner. 

For this dish, start off with apple juice, honey, lemon, and garlic. For the garlic, you can either buy the pre-minced kind or mince it yourself. You'll also need a few spices, including cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. To round off your grocery list, add six pieces of bone-in and skin-on chicken. Either the breasts or the legs are preferred.

"I used breasts and legs for this, but thighs would work as well. I cut the breast into thirds because it was very large," Johnson shares. "You will want to cut the breast into half at least, to make it have a similar cook time to the other pieces of chicken."

Start off by combining every single ingredient on the list (besides the chicken) into either a lidded container or a resealable bag. Then, add the chicken in as well. Stick it in the fridge and allow the chicken to marinate overnight. This ensures that all the flavors will soak in and your chicken will taste next-level good since it's been sitting in spices overnight. 

Once the chicken has been in your fridge overnight and all the flavors have soaked into the skin, it's time to preheat the oven. In the meantime, remove the chicken from the marinade and set the bag with marinade to the side because you'll need it later — you don't want to throw all those delicious spices and juices away. Grab a large skillet, and put in a teaspoon of olive oil. Cook about three to five minutes per side until the skin is golden brown. It should look just like the photo! 

Once the chicken is brown on both sides, you can remove it from the skillet and set it to the side until you need it again. Now, add the marinade to the skillet and bring it to a boil. Once it starts to bubble, lower the heat and allow it to cook until the sauce reduces by half. "About 10 minutes on a medium-high heat" will do the trick, Johnson says. Just keep an eye on the skillet to ensure that you don't cook off too much of the liquid.

Place the chicken in a baking dish and pour the marinade over it. Set your timer for about 25 minutes and cook the chicken until the internal temperatures soar up to 165 degrees. If you don't have a lot of experience cooking chicken, you may want to use a meat thermometer. Once the timer dings, remove the chicken from the oven and serve however you'd like.

"If, after baking, you find that the sauce isn't thick enough, pour it back into the skillet. Mix a slurry in a bowl on the side by combining one tablespoon each of cornstarch and cold water, then add it into the sauce and stir continuously over heat until it thickens," Johnson notes. "This will give the sauce a more gravy-like consistency."

As for serving suggestions? "Cinnamon is really the star here, so things that pair well with that all work wonderfully," Johnson says. "I like this with mashed potatoes and carrots. It would also be delicious over rice. The leftovers also make a delicious chicken salad!"