By Bernice's Table opened back up on Tuesday, October sixth, 2020, in the New Hope AME Church parking lot, with tables six feet apart and masked volunteers and individually wrapped food and the October evening light that comes in at an angle that is as close to gold as Birmingham ever gets. I set up the serving station with Sister Agnes at three in the afternoon and we arranged the tables and put the hand sanitizer out and I stood in the parking lot and thought: Bernice, we are here. We are outside now. The table is outside. But we are here.
Forty-three people came. Down from our pre-COVID fifty, but up from the bag-meal period when we couldn't see who came or how many—this was forty-three people I could see, forty-three faces, forty-three individual plates handed directly by my hands with eye contact and "Baby, you are welcome here." I cannot tell you what it felt like to hand a plate to a person and see their face. I cannot tell you what that direct transfer means after six months of leaving bags on a table. I tried to tell Calvin in the car on the way home and I couldn't find the words, which means it was too large for words, which means it will go in the food instead. Next Tuesday. More food. More faces. More plates. The table is back. Thank God, the table is back.
When the table came back outside and the faces came back into view, I knew I needed food that could carry the weight of that moment — something warm and direct and serious, with a sauce that means it. Chili Sauce Chicken is what I make when I need a dish that hands itself over completely, no apology, no fuss, just flavor that lands and stays. Forty-three plates. Every one of them deserved this.
Chili Sauce Chicken
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
- 1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat & prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season all sides with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces skin-side down for 4–5 minutes until golden. Flip and brown 2 minutes more. Work in batches if needed. Transfer chicken to a large baking dish.
- Make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together chili sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and cayenne (if using) until smooth and fully combined.
- Coat & bake. Pour the chili sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, turning each piece to coat all sides. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Finish uncovered. Remove foil and baste chicken with the pan sauce. Return to oven uncovered and bake an additional 25–30 minutes, basting once more halfway through, until the sauce caramelizes and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Rest & serve. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before plating. Spoon extra pan sauce over each piece when serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 780mg