Some would say the secret to true love lies in the stomach, and every generation has that one recipe that's so good it warrants a proposal. In the 1980s it was Engagement Chicken, a chicken roasted whole in lemon and herbs that was guaranteed to bring boyfriends everywhere down to one knee -- according to the recipe's creators at Glamour Magazine. The website Delish updated the magical marriage recipe in 2016 with the release of Marry Me Chicken, a chicken skillet dish with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs in a creamy parmesan sauce. However, Marry Me Chicken has some competition these days. There's a new recipe on TikTok that people are saying will inspire an engagement ring, and it's called sticky cherry chicken thighs.
This chicken recipe has the element of surprise on its side, with caramelized cherries garnishing each piece of tender, juicy chicken. Chicken thighs are pan-browned, roasted, and then glazed in a sauce made with halved cherries, shallots, garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. It's an easy way to take the perfect roasted chicken recipe to the next level, and it pairs well with a variety of sides like fresh salad greens and rice or roasted asparagus and baked potatoes.
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There's a juicy reason you should never remove the skin from chicken thighs, and that rule definitely applies when you're making this dish. Keep the skin on so you can lock in moisture and create a savory, roasted crust on each thigh. Make sure your thighs get extra crispy by starting them cold in a skillet with no oil and slowly turning up the heat and creating a layer of oil as the fat renders. Sear each thigh without moving the meat until it develops a golden crust, and you're ready to flip it. Then, pop it in the oven to roast. Pair it with your favorite roasted vegetables or other side and a Cherry Bounce cocktail for an unforgettable date-night dinner.
A cherry pitter isn't necessary for making sticky cherry chicken thighs, but it will make the prep a whole lot easier. You don't want to skimp on cherries, especially if you're aiming to impress someone with this dish. Instead, you'll want to fill your pan with enough halved and pitted cherries to smother each chicken thigh, so get yourself a cherry pitter, and enjoy processing cherries in record time.
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