Honey Barbecued Chicken

I tried this recipe two nights ago because I needed a main dish recipe. Read on....

This recipe comes from the 2005 Taste of Home Cookbook.

2 broiler/fryer chickens (3 pounds each), cut up
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 large onions, chopped
2 cans (8 ounce each) tomato sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Place chicken skin side down in an ungreased 13-in. x9-in x2-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn chicken and bake 20 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally with sauce (I did make sure I basted the legs about every 15 minutes). Serves 8.

I thought this sounded delicious and most importantly, easy.

I halved the recipe and used 6 chicken legs. I really enjoyed the sauce because of the contrasting honey and hot sauce (I used more than it called for of each) but Greg was not a big fan of the dish as a whole - because of the legs.

The sauce is really thin; baking it on the chicken thickens it up. Maybe if the sauce simmered for awhile in a saucepan, it would be thick enough to use on grilled chicken. I'll try it when the weather warms up. Or I will just pour it over boneless, skinless breasts and bake.

I just gave a friend this recipe to use on smoked ribs. I don't know if he will try it but it may be good.

As Greg told me, everything can't be a success!