Brown Sugar Baked Garlic Chicken

So - this was a Pintrest try and while we (being my Mom and I) really enjoyed it, I think I already have an addendum to it that I think would really kick up the flavor a notch! I'll let you decide whether you want to cook it the original way or the kicked up way - and if you try the kicked up way, let me know what you think!

Not many ingredients in this one - simple, easy & delicious!

What You Need

- 4-6 chicken tenderloins/3-4 thin chicken breasts

- 2 tbsp. olive oil

- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

- 4 tbsp. brown sugar

- salt & pepper to taste

What You'll Do

- Preheat the oven to 450. In a skillet, combine the olive oil, garlic powder and brown sugar to create a sauce/rub.

- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Apply the brown sugar and garlic mixture to the chicken; covering the chicken as liberally as possible.

- Cook for 25-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken or until the juices run clear.

Chicken - before & after!

Now then - all this business about kicking things up a notch. The outside of the chicken had a lovely, tasty bit of crispiness and flavor...but it didn't really permeate too deep into the chicken. A thought that my Mom and I ruminated on as we ate - it just needed a little something more. My suggestion? Well, since I ate this with a little bit of barbecue sauce, that's what I'm thinking needs to be added. Also - up the ante on the garlic and the brown sugar! 

I think next time I whip this up, I'll mix my sauce/rub together ahead of time and add in a couple tablespoons of my favorite Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and then put my chicken and my saucy concoction in a Ziploc bag to marinate for the day. I'll add a little sprinkle of salt, pepper and brown sugar on top before cooking to give it a nice crisp and I'm betting it will turn out absolutely delightful!