Description
Give this Sesame Soy Chicken a try if you’re looking for maximum, crazy-good, and flavorful chicken. This Asian-forward chicken marinade features soy sauce, sesame oil, five spice powder, and more. We’ll marinate the chicken in an easy blend of ingredients and then finish on the stovetop (or grill!). The results are juicy chicken with deeply fragrant, umami-bomb flavor that hits…mmm!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken thighs
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Sesame seeds, for garnish- optional
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and then place them into a shallow baking dish or resealable plastic bag. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, five spice powder, and red pepper flakes. Toss the chicken with the marinade until well combined and fully coated.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap or seal the bag. Transfer the chicken to the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight for the best results. Right before cooking, set the chicken on the counter to come up to room temperature, for about 20-30 minutes.
- Cook the chicken. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the 1 tablespoon sesame oil. When hot, gently swirl the skillet to evenly coat the bottom. Working in batches- remove the chicken from the marinade (but do not discard), shaking off excess, and place the chicken thighs into the skillet. Let the chicken sear, undisturbed, until deeply golden with a nice sear- about 5-6 minutes. Then use tongs to flip the chicken onto the other side to continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken registers at least 165°F when checked with an internal thermometer. Place the cooked chicken onto a clean plate and repeat the process until all the pieces are cooked through. Then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Finish with marinade/glaze. Add all of the chicken thighs back into the skillet and pour the reserved marinade over the chicken, and let the mixture come up to a slight boil while spooning the marinade over the chicken every so often. Once the marinade/glaze achieves a glossy, thicker texture, remove the skillet from heat.
- Serve. Transfer the saucy chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. Then serve as desired or slice the chicken into pieces and make our Hibachi Chicken Bowls. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.