Maple-Glazed Chicken With Sweet Potato Hash

I was getting ready to start my grill the other night, when all of the sudden I realized I needed a break from it. I’d grilled chicken and veggies almost every night for over a year and a half (and loved it), but it was time to switch things up. But since it was already dinner time, I had to find something fast, easy, and that didn’t require special ingredients. Oh, and healthy. And yet magically this delightful maple-glazed chicken with a nice spiced sweet potato hash totally fit the bill!

I ended up modifying the original recipe a little, specifically in how I cooked the chicken since I had tiny tenders vs. full chicken breasts. What I discovered is that the recipe is simple and flexible, so you can figure out the right proportion of stove vs. oven each time you make it. The sweet-and-savory combo was a total winner!

In a large oven-safe skillet (I recommend cast-iron) over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet and place the sweet potatoes and onion in the pan, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Saute for 8-10 minutes, until the veggies are golden and caramelized (but the sweet potatoes won’t be cooked through). Stir in the paprika.

Line a large sheet pan with foil, and spread the sweet potatoes out, making sure the pan isn’t crowded. Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Next, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet until it’s shimmery. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, then place them in the pan. You have two choices here:

I used chicken tenders which cook quickly, so I just cooked them fully in the skillet. That only took 3-4 minutes on each side. However, if you’re using regular chicken breasts, brown them on both sides for 3-4 minutes on each side, until they’re golden-brown but not cooked through yet. Then add to the sheet pan in the oven (or just throw the cast-iron skillet in the oven) and bake until the chicken is at least 165 F inside.

While everything is baking, make the sauce. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the garlic. Saute until just fragrant (about a minute). Stir in the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until it’s reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Once the chicken and sweet potatoes are done, remove from the oven and drizzle with the maple sauce.

I was really happy with how easy this maple-glazed chicken was but also how satisfying…the flavors and textures were great fresh but also made awesome leftovers at work the next day.

Other easy weeknight dinners you’ll love:

Maple-Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potato Hash

There are a couple ways to do this, depending on your pan and oven situation. I’ve found I prefer to do the sweet potatoes first and get them in the oven, then use chicken tenders and just cook them on the stove. But if you use regular chicken breasts you’ll definitely want to finish them in the oven as the recipe suggests. The recipe is flexible.

Chicken

1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of white whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Sweet Potato Hash

1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-size cubes
1 small onion, finely diced
Garlic powder, salt, & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of paprika

Maple Glaze

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup of maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large oven-safe skillet (I recommend cast-iron) over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet and place the sweet potatoes and onion in the pan, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Saute for 8-10 minutes, until the veggies are golden and caramelized (but the sweet potatoes won’t be cooked through). Stir in the paprika.
Line a large sheet pan with foil, and spread the sweet potatoes out, making sure the pan isn’t crowded. Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Next, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet until it’s shimmery. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, then place them in the pan. You have two choices here:
- I used chicken tenders which cook quickly, so I just cooked them fully in the skillet. That only took 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Or, if you’re using regular chicken breasts, brown them on both sides for 3-4 minutes on each side, until they’re golden-brown but not cooked through yet. Then add to the sheet pan in the oven (or just throw the cast-iron skillet in the oven) and bake until the chicken is at least 165 F inside.
While everything is baking, make the sauce. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the garlic. Saute until just fragrant (about a minute). Stir in the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until it’s reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.
Once the chicken and sweet potatoes are done, remove from the oven and drizzle with the maple sauce.

Adapted slightly from Cucina de Yung

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