Asian Chicken Thighs

January – Spicy Thai Influenced Chicken Thighs
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January – Spicy Thai Influenced Chicken Thighs

Spicy chicken thighs redolent with ginger, garlic, lime juice, chili paste and coconut milk. Oh my! These are fantastic. Use the leftovers in the can of coconut milk to make coconut rice, rice cooked in coconut milk and water. I cannot say enough about this combination, yummy.

Thai Inspired Roast Chicken

Thai Inspired Roast Chicken

 

Spicy Thai Influenced Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs trimmed of any excess fat or skin (you could also use breasts in this menu, bone-in and skin-on preferred)
  • 3″ piece of ginger, grated
  • 5 garlic cloves, grated
  • 3/4 cup of coconut milk, low or full fat
  • 1/4 cup of hot chili paste, use less depending on heat and sensitivity
  • 1/4 cup of lime juice
  • 2 T of brown sugar (optional, I did not use)
  • 1 T of kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, mint or a combination – for serving

Method:

  1. Combine the ginger, garlic, chili paste, lime juice, sugar (if using), and salt in a bowl with the coconut milk. Whisk or stir to mix. Pour the marinade over the chicken in a bowl or plastic zip lock bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
  2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
  3. Remove the chicken from the marinate, shaking them gently to remove any excess. Place the chicken thighs on a parchment or foil lined lined sheet pan. Bake for about 30-40 minutes depending on your oven and the size of the thighs, or until the skin is brown and the juices run clear.
  4. You can bring any remaining marinade to a boil in a small saucepan, simmer for a few minutes and use as a sauce.
  5. Garnish with cilantro, mint or a combination.
Thai Inspired Roast Chicken

Thai Inspired Roast Chicken

I am taking these over to the folks at Fiesta Friday to share at the virtual blogging party. It’s Fiesta Friday #364 hosted by Angie and cohosted this week by Diann @ Of Goats and Greens and Petra @ Food Eat Love

Come on over, click on the link to Fiesta Friday and read all the blogging post recipes, craft ideas, and decorating tips.

Suitable for phase 3 of the 30 Day Metabolic Diet, remove the chicken skin before serving.

Thai Inspired Roast Chicken

Thai Inspired Roast Chicken

March – Asian Spiced Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot
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March – Asian Spiced Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot

Asian Inspired Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot

Asian Inspired Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot

The meat section of the store was almost empty, I could tell that the butchers were delving into the very bottom of their freezer or cooler. I bet many of you are experiencing the same situation. I was looking for a family sized package of chicken drumsticks, but there were none to be had. I searched in vain. I wanted to make a recipe from the Frugal Hausfrau for BBQ chicken drumsticks in the Instant Pot. The weather has been mild enough to uncover the BBQ, which I was hoping to do. The recipe made a lot of chicken and leftovers for the week’s lunches would be welcome (it’s always a challenge to figure out lunch and here we are, home all day, every day). As well she has a recipe for making a delicious BBQ chicken chili with the juices left in the pot. It was the winner at our 2020 New Year’s Day chili party.

They did have family sized packages of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Menu change coming up.

In search of a recipe on Pinterest and the www, the only ones I came across were for 4-6 thighs, not the 10 that were in the package. Time to improvise. I think the result was repeatable.

Asian Inspired Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot

Asian Inspired Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot – browned in the oven

I didn’t want to go through the trouble of browning that many thighs before cooking, something that every recipe I came across recommended. Why not do that step at the end, a quick roast in a 425 degree F oven would do it. As well, that means the thighs could be cooked ahead and just finished at the end. I was roasting some thick fries at the same time, the oven would already be on. Served with a big salad it was an easy meal with plenty of leftovers.

Salad

Salad with Sweet Candied Pecans

Ingredients:

  • Family sized package of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Trimmed of extra fat and skin.
  • 1/3 cup of honey
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
  • 1/2 cup of soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup of ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon of sesame oil

Method:

  1. Place the chicken thighs on the rack in your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. You can stand them up to minimize overlap but don’t worry too much about it.
  2. Mix the sauce ingredients together and pour over the chicken, trying to coat all of the thighs.
  3. Set the pressure cooker to high pressure, cook for 13 minutes once full pressure is reached.
  4. Use quick release (I put a kitchen towel over the valve so the steam doesn’t spray all over the kitchen).
  5. Open the cooker and remove the thighs.
  6. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F when you are ready to eat (or heat up your BBQ)
  7. Line the baking sheet with foil for easiest clean up.
  8. Roast the thighs until the skin is brown and crisp, about 15-20 minutes.

Note: Save the juices left in the pressure cooker. Refrigerate them, any fat will come to the surface making it easy to remove. Look for another post about using those juices in an Asian inspired chicken noodle soup.

Asian Inspired Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot

Asian Inspired Chicken Thighs in the Instant Pot

The recipe is a keeper.