Easy Spicy Chicken: your new go-to weeknight dinner recipe with a kick

You’ll be shocked by how quick and easy this spicy chicken recipe is. You can prepare the entire satisfying and healthy dish with just a few minutes of hands-on work. Set the chicken legs to marinate ahead of time, then pop them right into the oven to roast for one hour. Now get ready for your new favorite weeknight chicken recipe! What’s more, all of these ingredients are easy to find, inexpensive and you probably already have most, if not all, of them on hand in your kitchen right now! All you need to make this crispy and spicy chicken recipe is chicken legs, garlic, a few dried spices (thyme, chili, and red pepper), plus yogurt and mayonnaise to make a creamy sauce.

What can it be served with?

Like most weeknight chicken recipes, this spicy version pairs well with your favorite starches. Roasted crispy potatoes, brown or white rice, or even buttery pasta are all excellent options to serve with crispy chicken thighs.

To add some green into the mix, don’t forget to prepare a light and easy green salad, steamed broccoli or roasted carrots for even more color.

How to make Chicken sweet and spicy at the same time

This chicken gets plenty of kick from chili peppers, powdered red pepper, and black pepper in the marinade. If you want to balance out that heat with some sweetness, add a tablespoon or two of honey to the marinade. You can also use brown sugar, agave, or another liquid sweetener if you prefer. The result is an easy chicken recipe that’s sweet and spicy at the same time.

How to Make Easy Spicy Chicken

First, start by seasoning the chicken legs. Place them in a bowl and add minced or grated garlic, red pepper, dried thyme, chili pepper, yogurt, mayonnaise, and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat the chicken fully in the spice mixture.

The chicken should be fully coated.

Cover and let the chicken marinate for 1 hour in the fridge.

Arrange the chicken pieces on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour.

Now serve up your chicken and dig in!

Notes

Any variety of plain yogurt will work for this recipe, but avoid sweetened or flavored yogurts.