Dinner can be an easy triumph of flavors or a burden that clings to your to do list all day long. Thing is — it has to be addressed. You may be able to subsist on a cup of coffee and a dry piece of toast in the morning or a cafeteria-style sandwich at noon, but at home, with the kids whining “what’s for dinner?” not so much. It’s time to get your game face on with these Juicy Asian-Style Chicken Thighs.
My girlfriend, Nola turned me on to this recipe and now it’s in our weekly rotation. I’ve adapted from Naomi Pomeroy’s Wedding Chicken. Beware, it’s addictive!!!
I’ll be honest, if I’m alone for dinner, I don’t even think about cooking a full meal. A glass of wine with a handful of Wheat Thins — and I’m happy. But when my husband and daughter are home, a shoulder shrug of indifference just ain’t going to cut it, which is why I like to have a game plan. Something quick and easy that I can assemble either the night before or the morning of. Like these Juicy Asian-Style Chicken Thighs. Simple and absolutely delicious!
I love Asian-style marinades because they call for aggressive flavorings. Garlic, of course. Ginger usually. Soy – for that salty umami, maybe some fish sauce for a little funk, some sort of acid like vinegar or citrus juice and sugar and spice for the hot-sweet aspect we all crave.
If you’re an expedient sous chef, meaning you can chop and mince with the best of them, this marinade might take you ten minutes to prepare. If you’re a little slower, fifteen minutes. Assemble everything in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk it together and pour over the chicken thighs in a zip-top bag. Stick it in the fridge to marinate. Done!
When you’re ready to cook, slice an onion to make a “bed” for the chicken and roast in a very hot oven to get a crispy golden skin. The end result is moist, tender and full of flavor — in other words a dinner triumph! Serve with a squeeze of lime, fresh cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of extra sliced chilies if your into heat. I made four thighs because our family is small, but if you have more folks to feed, or if you’ve got a serious appetite, this recipe can be doubled.
Juicy Asian-Style Chicken Thighs
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ginger freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1 tablespoon lime juice from about half the lime
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons nam pla fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 serrano peppers thinly sliced or 1 large jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 meaty chicken thighs trimmed of excess fat
- 1 large Vidalia onion or large spanish onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For serving
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro
- additional serrano peppers sliced
instructions
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the ginger, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, nam pla brown sugar, and serrano peppers, stirring until brown sugar dissolves.
- Place the chicken thighs in a zip-top plastic bag and pour the marinade over them. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal it tightly. With your hands work the chicken thighs into the marinade until well coated. Place the bag on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 450°.
- Slice the onion crosswise in about 1/4"-1/2" rings, toss them with the olive oil and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and pat them dry with a paper towel. Arrange the chicken on top of the onions. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until skin is crispy and meat is cooked through.
- To serve, arrange the onions on a plate and top with the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, lime wedges and additional slices of serrano peppers, if desired.
Nutrition
More Tasty Chicken Ideas:
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- Chicken Sates with Cucumber Avocado Relish
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- Oven Roasted Harissa Chicken
Don’t Forget To “Pin It” For Later!
My boyfriend’s daughter, her 25 yr old son and 7 yr old daughter all loved the chicken. Actually they enjoyed everything I served which was your French potato salad, the crunchy Brussel sprout slaw and the spicy roasted carrots. The carrots were from my garden and not only were they delicious, the presentation is pretty elegant looking. I had some huge radishes that I quartered and added with the carrots. It’s so satisfying to experiment with new dishes and have them all turn out delicious. You never disappoint . Thanks Lisa.
Wow, Pat! You’ve been a busy cook this weekend! So glad your family enjoyed EVERYTHING.
Great flavor combinations in this recipe.
Love this Asian inspired marinade! Bookmarking to make it later this week. Thanks!
Let me know how you like it!
Oh My, these look so juicy and I seriously wanna grab them right out of the screen. Love the citrus flavors you’ve going on here Lisa. Pinning to try them soon.
Glad you like them Molly!
Wow those are gorgeous! Love that beautiful brown crispy skin! These would be a huge hit in my home.
They are a big hit here! Thanks Emily!
This would be fantastic for dinner! We love Asian inspired dishes.
We do too! Hope you enjoy it!
Perfect weeknight meal! Love recipes with prep you can do ahead of time! My kids are going to love this one!
I hope they do! Enjoy!
Wow look at that color on the chicken! Gorgeous! I am with you about dinner – if it’s just me, I am eating a bowl of cereal and maybe some chocolate. But my husband is a different story. He is all about a hot dinner. But I can never get him to eat dark meat chicken. Would I have to change anything in the cooking time/temp to make this with bone-in breasts instead?
I don’t think so — bone in, skin on breasts should do fine — unless they are particularly large. When in doubt, use a meat thermometer!
This chicken looks amazing! I love the crispy skin and the marinade has my mouth watering.
It’s so good, too!
Does the Olive Oil go in with the marinade?
Also, FYI – SideChef listing doesn’t show measurements 🙂
Oops! The olive oil gets tossed with the onions. Spread the onions on the pan and set the chicken thighs on top of them. I’ll contact Side Chef and find out why they don’t have the amounts for this recipe. Thank you for notifying me, Adam. Please let me know how you like the chicken!
LOVE asian flavours! Wonder if this will work with extra firm tofu? Or maybe some seitan?
I’ll bet it would! I’ve done tofu in other types of marinades and grilled it — the tofu soaks up all those amazing flavors! I’ve heard of seitan but never used it. What’s it like?
Oh yum! This looks delicious. I love cooking with chicken thighs since they stay so moist and rich. Pinning!
I’m with you – chicken thighs are the best!
Asian recipes are always amazing! Especially when it’s chicken with soy sauce and ginger! YUM
I know – they’re just luscious!
Your photography is just incredible! Do you take them yourself? If so, what camera do you use? I’m in the market for a new one.
Thank you so much, Kristen! Yes, I take all of my pictures. I have an old Nikon D7000 with a 35mm lens. I found it used on B&H and got it pretty inexpensively.
Salivating the entire time as I read this and I’m not even hungry
Lol! Here’s a napkin, Shanti!
This looks so good! I have to try and make it one day!
Let me know how you like it, Annie!
Those look amazing! Some of my favorite flavors are in this! Must try 🙂 Psst, I’ve stumbled it too!
Thanks so much, Stacey! They’re some of my favorite flavors too!
It looks amazing! I have to try and make it at home! Thanks for sharing…
Let me know how you like it, Kimberly!
You had me at juicy and thighs. This looks perfect!
Thanks so much, Camille!
This is a great recipe, no surprise is on your weekly ‘rotation’, I need to update mine ASAP!
Well, let me know how you like it Yined!
Wow!! Such a beautiful photo!! I love chicken thighs!!
They’re the best part of the chicken, I think!
This looks absolutely delicious! I make a lot of asian spices marinated chickens at home too. Would love to try this recipe!
Totally finger-licking-good! I can tell from the photos and ingredients!! YUM!
Thank you CC! My daughter said, “It doesn’t suck!”
The flavor combinations in this recipe reminds me of a marinade my mom used to make when I was little. This dish not only sounds great, but it looks gorgeous too!
I really appreciate that Renee! And if your Mom did something similar, than you know it’s good! Moms and Grandmas have all the best recipes! It’s genetic.
The pictures and presentation are amazing! looks deliciously amazing!
Thank you, Brooke! I’m so glad you like it!
They really do look juicy, and that sauce sounds amazing too.
Thank you Dannii! They’ve been a hit in our house!
The bronzed skin is calling me; the asian kick has me!
I think the boys would like this!
Love, love these flavors!!!! Yummmmmmm
I know – they’re crazy good!