How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Smoked Paprika Chicken Legs With Sweet Potatoes (Diabetic Friendly)

Chicken legs--the kind with bones in and skin on--are one of the least expensive food options at the grocery store, and this recipe is one of my favorites for a quick, easy, and tasty dinner. The dish takes minutes to put together and can be baked on a foil-lined baking sheet for fast clean-up. The chicken legs come out of the oven moist, tender, and full of flavor thanks to a topping that includes yogurt and lemon juice. Smoked paprika gives the legs a smokey-sweetness (you can use regular sweet paprika, but you'll lose the nice smokey flavor). Sweet potato and onion slices bake beneath the chicken, soak up the juices, and provide a low hassle side dish for the chicken. The chicken will smell amazingly good while it bakes and make a real "comfort dinner." The dish also is surprisingly "healthy" for something so good. It's full of lean protein, fiber, and beneficial nutrients and is a good option (in moderation, as always!) if you're on a diabetic diet. Enjoy!

How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Smoked Paprika Chicken Legs With Sweet Potatoes (Diabetic Friendly)

Paprika Baked Chicken Legs With Sweet Potatoes -- Serves 4+

3 - 4 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken legs (6-8 legs)

1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt (non-fat is fine)

2 - 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of honey (or use date puree, if you're diabetic--barely cover several pitted

dates with boiling water, let them cool, and mash the dates with the water)

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

1 large onion, chopped

1 - 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Parsley, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spritz the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Place the onion and sweet potatoes on the baking sheet, drizzle them with the olive oil, and then toss them around on the sheet a bit to coat them with the oil. Spread the onion and potatoes out evenly on the baking sheet and top them with the chicken legs. In a small bowl or measure mix together well the yogurt, lemon juice, pepper, salt, honey, and smoked paprika. Spread the mixture over the chicken evenly (if you want more flavor and have time, loosen the skin on the chicken legs and spoon a little of the mixture under the skin of the chicken). Bake the chicken for 55 - 60 minutes or until the legs reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees. Remove the chicken from the oven, let it cool about five minutes, and, before serving the chicken, sprinkle it with parsley if you'd like.

How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Smoked Paprika Chicken Legs With Sweet Potatoes (Diabetic Friendly)