JAS_OH1
Forum GOD!
Chicken is one of the most versatile and budget-friendly animal proteins out there and I am always looking for new and delicious ways to prepare it. I came up with this Asian-inspired recipe idea that checks off so many flavor boxes. Moist and tender chicken that has a balanced combination of bright, tangy, sweet, spicy, and savory: yep, this recipe has all of that. This dish was easy to prepare and so delicious! I chose to serve the chicken over a bed of fluffy basmati rice with sauteed red, yellow and orange bell peppers, onions, and sugar snap peas, then finished with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of chopped scallions (spring onion) and cilantro. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Notes: I baked my chicken in the oven, but this chicken would be great on the outdoor grill. I used chicken quarters (leg and a thigh) for my recipe. In my experience chicken thighs/legs are quite forgiving when baking and are my favorite cuts to use, but certainly skinless boneless breasts would work just fine--just adjust the cooking time as needed. Also, if using skinless boneless chicken breasts, a tablespoon or two of oil might need to be used in the pan before baking the chicken.
I used one small habenero pepper in my recipe. If you are uncertain about the heat level and are wary of the marinade being overly spicy, try using just half of the habenero at first and giving it a taste, then add the other half if desired. Other types of hot peppers can be substituted if preferred. I have also found that different brands of soy sauce can vary in sodium content. There is a slight chance that a touch of salt might need to be added to the glaze reduction (added at the end) depending on tastes. Additionally, I couldn't find lemongrass or ginger root at the grocery store but they did have refrigerated paste in tubes in the produce section that worked out quite well.
Servings: 2-4 depending on appetites
Total time: 6-8 hours with 4-6 hours of this being downtime while chicken is marinating
Ingredients
4 chicken leg quarters, trimmed of excess skin and fat
(Marinade ingredients)
4 ounces pineapple juice
4 ounces orange juice
6 ounces soy sauce
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP lime juice
8 oz pineapple chunks
8 oz orange sections
2 TBSP freshly grated ginger or ginger paste
1 TBSP lemongrass paste
4-5 cloves of roasted garlic (more or less according to tastes)
1 medium size shallot
1/3 cup of honey or brown sugar
1/2 or 1 whole small habanero (or other hot pepper of choice)
1 oz fresh cilantro
Place marinade ingredients into a blender and pulse for about 15 seconds.
Remove excess skin and fat from the chicken pieces. Place the chicken skin-side up in a shallow baking dish and pour the marinade over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place the chicken pieces on a plate or tray. Pour the marinade from the baking pan into a small saucepan and put on the stove on low-medium heat to reduce. When glaze is reduced to desired thickness, taste and adjust salt if needed.
Place chicken back in the baking pan and put in the preheated 375F oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the skin is deep golden brown in color. Remove chicken from oven and drizzle each piece with the glaze reduction sauce.
Plate the chicken over rice and vegetables, then drizzle with additional glaze. Finish with a touch of sesame oil and fresh cilantro/scallions (spring onion). Enjoy!
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