Takeout-Worthy Sesame Chicken Straight From the Oven
Every week, we spotlight a different food blogger who’s shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Here, Stephanie Le of I Am a Food Blog shines a spotlight on one of chicken’s most underrated parts, the thigh.
Photos courtesy of Stephanie Le
By Stephanie Le, I Am a Food Blog
I absolutely love chicken thighs. Well, to be honest, I love chicken in general, but if I had to choose a favorite part, it’d be thighs, hands down.
What’s not to love about chicken thighs? They’re inexpensive, hard to overcook, and delicious. This oven-baked take on sesame chicken is an awesome way to highlight them. All you have to do is whisk together the marinade ingredients, pour it on, and bake it. Give it a brush halfway between the cooking time and you’ll get crispy skinned, juicy, super flavourful chicken. Done and done!
Related: The Genius Way to Cook Chicken Thighs (That’s Better Than Fried)
Easy Oven-Baked Sesame Chicken Thighs
Serves 4 to 6
6 to 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ inch fresh ginger, minced
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Toasted sesame seeds
Sliced green onions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the chicken skin side up in a snug, oven-safe baking dish (feel free to line your dish with foil for easy clean up).
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Pour the marinade on the chicken and make sure that each piece is coated. Season with freshly ground pepper.
Bake until the thighs are browned and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes, based on size. Half-way through, rotate the baking dish and brush the skin with the sauce in the pan. When crispy and cooked through, remove from the oven, drizzle on the sesame oil and a generous sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Garnish with green onions if desired and enjoy hot!
Related: Braised Chicken Thighs with Tomato and Honey
