Dates in Hebrew are tamarim, a play on the word yitamu, “[may our enemies be] destroyed.” Finished. Yesterday. And you don’t have to be a child to love Winnie-the-Pooh’s “hunny.” The ultimate symbol of sweetness, we consume honey as we pray for a “good sweet year.”
If you love sticky, tangy chicken you will love this easy, exotic chicken recipe.
Related: 40 Ways to Cook Chicken
Date & Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup apple juice
- 12 pitted dates coarsely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 4 tablespoon honey
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 large bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, about 3 pounds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Prepare glaze: In a food processor, combine apple juice, dates, garlic, honey, olive oil, and salt. Pulse until fairly smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken and glaze; toss to coat well.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken reaches 175°F internal temperature.
- Serve with Whole Wheat Stuffing with Leeks.
I’m excited to try this recipe! How far in advance can I make the glaze? Can I make it a week in advance and freeze it? Or a few days in advance and refrigerate it? (I would not be making the chicken in advance)
You can do either, it should be good for a few days in the fridge, but it will also freeze well. Hope you love it. Shana Tova!
So I was looking for a change for our Rosh Hashanh dinner entrees…and found this! So excited to try it. Hi Jaime and others who have made this…just wondering if I could use boneless chicken thighs and if I make ahead and freeze, how long would I need to warm it up? Do I defrost 1st and then warm?
hope you enjoyed!
YAYYYYYYY Thank you so so so so much for letting us know and sharing all your tips!
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I stumbled across this recipe when looking for ways to cook some leftover dates I had from another recipe. It’s not an ingredient I cook with often, but I’m so glad I found this recipe.
Something that’s super important though– make sure you chop up the dates before you put into the food processor. If you attempt to put the pitted dates in whole, the blades will get stuck and the juices will fly EVERYWHERE. Had to learn that the hard way…
I also prepared the glaze the night before and let the chicken thighs marinate in it overnight. It was super easy prep to just then pop them into the oven, and I think marinading made it even sweeter int eh best way. Love, love, love this recipe, it’s definitely going into my cookbook.
It looks great. Will give this a try very soon
I have never cooked with fresh dates and I am not sure how they would work. I posted the question to our Shabbat Sharing Facebook Group – check it out and let’s hope someone else knows – https://www.facebook.com/groups/shabbatsharing/
It’s a glaze just prep it and pour it and bake it! enJOY!
Can I use fresh dates (the dark ones not the light ones) instead of dried?
Accidentally bought fresh dates and I have no idea what to do with them!
Does the marinade go on right before it goes in the oven, or should I marinate in advance?
dried – enJOY!
Does this recipe use dried dates or fresh dates? Thanks
more than fine — will be perfect!
Just wondering if I could do this with a whole cut up chicken instead of just thighs? should be fine, right?
I can’t thank you enough! For always taking the time to comment and for sharing your tips. So I think we have learned (from this and other recipes 🙂 that my marinades and sauces always need to be made in your large food processor – so sorry to be the cause of any kitchen spills!
yes for sure!
could I make this recipe with orange juice instead of the apple?
Gmar Chatima Tova! I love using simanim for Rosh Hashana and made this yummy recipe this year (2012. I substituted garlic poser for garlic cloves and doubled the recipe sauce. I also used 8 entire chicken thighs and legs -attached. I also did not coat it in a bowl, but rather poured it on top of the chicken and then spooned the liquid on top and made sure the bottoms got some sauce too. I suggest that you make the sauce in a large food processor. It spilled out of my mini food processor and what a waste of yummy marinade. This chicken freezes beautifully as I made it a week in advance and the refrigerated leftovers taste even gooier and yummier than when originally made. And the leftover sauce that coats the pan in a yummy black honey glaze? Delicious. This is a winner and will become my family’s Rosh Hashana regular. My guests loved it too. Thank you Jamie. Gmar Chatima Tova
lol it’s almost like leaving out the chicken :-), well almost. How about subbing another dried fruit… apricots? Otherwise will just be like a very thin glaze (almost liquidy save for the honey) but will probably still taste nice… although if you don’t sub in another sticky dried fruit then I would half the garlic – use only 3 cloves
i know the whole point id the dates, but do you think i could leave them out?
I made this over Rosh Hashanah last year. I didn’t include the garlic because of an allergy, but this was a fantastic and easy dish for one of our more simple meals. My husband isn’t a fan of sweet meat meals, but everyone else enjoyed it.