Savory, spicy and sweet, this baked ginger and lemon chicken from Vietnamese by Uven Luu is ready in an hour—that sounds like a long time, but most of it is hands-off cooking.

“One of my favorite midweek meals takes minutes to prepare,” Luu writes. “Sultry ginger, tangy lemon, hot chiles and sticky honey are a great combo, and you should have a supply of them in the kitchen to turn simple chicken into something rather special for those lazy, cozy evenings.”

If you want to switch it up, you can also use chicken wings or pork ribs (but the cooking times will vary). Pass the napkins, please.

_{Recipes excerpted with permission from Vietnamese by Uyen Luu, published by Hardie Grant Books, May 2021.}

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Baked Ginger and Lemon Chicken

Servings: 4 servings

Time:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped

6 tablespoons soy sauce

20 ounces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks

2 red onions, quartered

1 lemon, zested then sliced into rings

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons honey

To Serve

Steamed rice

Selection of greens, like kale, broccoli or green beans

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

½ tablespoon vegetable oil

1 shallot, sliced

3 garlic cloves, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. In a small bowl, combine the crushed red pepper flakes, if using, with the ginger and soy sauce. Place the chicken in a roasting pan or baking dish large enough not to crowd the pieces; they should have two finger’s widths of space between them. Coat the chicken in the marinade; add the onion quarters, arranging the slices in between the pieces of chicken. Roast, basting halfway through, until the chicken is tender, 30 to 35 minutes. (Meanwhile, cook the rice and prepare a selection of greens for serving.)

3. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour any juices into a small saucepan before return the chicken to the oven.

4. To the saucepan with the pan juices, add the butter, honey and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat until it has reduced by a third, about 3 minutes.

5. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the honey sauce evenly over top, then return to the oven and until the juices run clear when pierced at the thickest point, 5 to 10 minutes more. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

6. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and fry the shallots until golden. Add the garlic, stirring to keep it from burning, then add the greens, adding a splash of water to help them cook. Season with salt and pepper, then stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Serve with the rice, vegetables and more crushed red pepper flakes if desired.

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