Description
A warm, comforting chicken dish featuring caramelised soy sauce on crispy chicken thighs served in a fragrant garlic ginger broth over steamed rice. Healthy, flavorful, and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs (700g) chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce, naturally brewed, low-sodium recommended
- 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon (15g) fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons (25g) brown sugar (or honey as a substitute)
- 3 cups (720ml) chicken broth, low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) sesame oil
- 2 stalks green onions, sliced thin (about 30g)
- 3 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice (about 600g)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil (for cooking)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 2 cups baby bok choy or spinach
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Mince garlic and ginger, and slice green onions for garnish.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs skin-side down and cook undisturbed for 7-8 minutes until skin is deep golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes. Chicken will not be fully cooked yet.
- Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Lower heat to medium, add a splash more oil if needed, then sauté minced garlic, ginger, and optional red chili flakes for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not burnt.
- Add brown sugar and soy sauce to the pan, stirring to dissolve sugar and scrape up browned bits. Pour in chicken broth, rice wine vinegar, and drizzle sesame oil. Return chicken thighs skin-side up to the skillet, partially submerged in broth.
- Cover and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165°F / 74°C) and broth has reduced slightly. Add optional greens during last 2 minutes to wilt.
- Serve chicken thighs over cooked jasmine or basmati rice. Ladle garlic ginger broth around and garnish with sliced green onions.
Notes
[‘Dry chicken thoroughly to ensure crispy caramelised skin.’, ‘Do not move chicken while caramelising to develop a crust.’, ‘Use low-sodium soy sauce and broth to control saltiness.’, ‘Simmer broth gently to avoid toughening chicken or burning sugars.’, ‘Save leftover broth for dipping sauce or soup base.’, ‘Make extra broth for a comforting soup by adding noodles the next day.’, ‘Reheat leftovers gently with a splash of broth to keep moist.’, ‘Freezing is not recommended as broth texture changes and chicken may become mushy.’]
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 750
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 32
Keywords: caramelised soy chicken, garlic ginger broth, healthy chicken recipe, easy chicken dinner, caramelized chicken thighs, soy sauce chicken, weeknight dinner