Honey Soy Chicken Marinade And Sauce
This is a Honey Soy chicken marinade Ive been using for most of my adult life which is direct copycat of the store bought bottled marinades.
Except unlike store bought where a quick inspection of the label reveals it contains a mere 0.5% of honey , this is actually made with plenty of honey!!!
This is my Rolls Royce of Honey Soy Chicken recipes. For midweek, I use my quick no-marinade stove and baked versions.
How To Bake Chicken Thighs Marinated In Soy Sauce
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Following this baked chicken thigh recipe will be not only easy but you will also get an amazing result. Make sure you follow these steps.
- First, you should start by making a marinade by combining soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and garlic.
- Once the sauce to marinate the chicken is ready, you can then season the chicken with salt, paprika and some dried herbs.
- The next thing that you will do is to transfer the seasoned chicken to a baking dish.
- When the chicken is in teh baking dish, you can pour the marinade over the chicken, cover it and set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. You could leave it in the fridge overnight for a better result as the meat will soak the sauce better making it softer and even tastier.
- Now that you are ready to bake your marinated chicken, you should preheat the oven to around 430F.
- While you are preheating the oven, you may want to get the chicken outside the fridge so it is not that cold when you put it in the oven.
- Then bake for close to 40 minutes or until the temperature reaches around 165F. Halfway through your cooking, you can baste your chicken thighs with the liquid. Turn the broiler and cook for 4 minutes or until it turns golden brown.
- You can now remove it from the oven and then serve with the pan sauce.
What To Serve With Honey Soy Chicken
The rice you spy in the photo above is Pineapple Fried Rice! is coming on Wednesday! Its a dead set perfect match with this chicken.
But dont fret! This is a chicken dish thats highly versatile its semi Asian but also totally Western, so its the sort of dish that will go with anything from Fried Rice to Macaroni Salad, the Greek Chickpea Salad I shared a couple of weeks go, or even an Asian Vermicelli Noodle Salad.
You get the drift it will suit many many sides! Here are some ideas:
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Chicken Thigh Marinde Ingredients:
- Soy Sauce- I use low sodium, Kikkoman brand.
- Garlic- Fresh works great but granulated will work in a pinch.
- Olive Oil- This helps the marinade stick to the chicken.
- Rosemary- I used dried, but fresh works great as well. If you do not have rosemary you could use thyme.
- Dijon Mustard- Regular works great but stone ground would work too.
- Worchestire auce- Just a little bit to add savory notes.
- Honey- Agave would work as well.
- Brown Sugar- I like my chicken thighs sweet. If you want a more savory flavor, just use honey and skip the brown sugar.
This Marinade Works Great With All Cuts Of Chicken Not Just Chicken Thighs
I like this marinade best with chicken thighs because they are a fattier type of chicken meat, giving them a rich flavor that pairs so well with this sweet and salty marinade.
I like to make my marinade right in a plastic bag, and then add the chicken. Letting it marinate for at least 2 hours, but as much as 24 hours allows the chicken to really soak up the flavor of this marinade.
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Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe
Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs recipe will become a regular on you weeknight menu. Make it once and see for yourself.
Around here chicken makes a regular appearance on the dinner table. To tell you the truth, it gets a little boring after awhile grilled chicken, baked chicken, sautéed chicken, chicken soup, chicken and pasta the list goes on.
You would think with all of that chicken, my family would get sick of seeing chicken one more time. But no. They never get tired of chicken thighs. We like the dark meat around here yall. Its good stuff and relatively inexpensive, too, but use whatever kinda chicken you like.
This Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs recipe is simple to whip up right before cooking or to use ahead of time as a marinade. Although a marinade typically includes an acid, such as a vinegar or citrus juice, you could certainly add either to this recipe. For this recipe youll need olive oil, soy sauce, garlic cloves , ground ginger, honey, salt and pepper. You can easily switch up the ingredients to your liking and taste. A splash of sesame oil would be a nice addition.
Basically, mix all ingredients together in a large plastic zip-top storage bag, add the chicken making sure to coat each piece. Place chicken and sauce/marinade in baking dish or leave in large plastic bag to marinate in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
Italian Baked Chicken Thighs
If you’re looking for a simple but flavor-packed preparation of chicken thighs that you can throw together on any given weeknight, here it is. These bone-in, skin-on thighs are tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then smeared with a mix of chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, and garlic.
The chicken is broiled for half an hour, optionally served with fresh basil and slices of lemon, and makes the perfect juicy, tasty accompaniment to a huge variety of sides, from baked potatoes to rice pilaf to sautéed green veggies.
Recipe:Italian Baked Chicken Thighs
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How Long To Marinade Chicken
You can marinate chicken from 30 minutes up to 24 hours. If you are in a hurry, you can mix up your marinade ingredients, cover the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Put them in the oven to bake and they will have a pretty good flavor.
However, for best results, if you have the time to let them marinate for a few hours or overnight, they will have a deep flavor and the meat will be tender and juicy too.
If you plan ahead for dinner, in the morning, mix up your marinade and cover the chicken. Pop it in the refrigerator. When you are ready for dinner, cook them up by frying, baking, air frying, or grilling. Yum.
Asian Chicken Thigh Marinade
Using this marinate is one of my familys favorite recipes. Every time I make this everyone is happy. It is so easy that I love it too.
The simple recipe has Asian flavors of soy sauce combined with Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup and garlic. It is a perfect balance of seasonings to bring out the best in the chicken.
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What Type Of Chicken Works Best For This Recipe
My favorite cut of chicken for this recipe is hands down boneless skinless chicken thighs.
They hold flavor, always stay juicy, and are pretty affordable.
However, you can also use bone-in skin on chicken thighs but youll need to cook the meat a lower heat and for a longer time to make sure its fully cooked on the inside.
Anytime Im using bone in meat I like to use an instant read thermometer so I can quickly see the internal temperature.
You can also use chicken breasts but just be mindful of how long grill them as they can dry out a lot faster than chicken thighs.
Tips From The Pillsbury Kitchens
- tip 1 Use long-handled tongs to protect your hands from the heat of the grill.
- tip 2 Serve your honey-grilled chicken with hot cooked white rice and steamed edamame. Want to save time and avoid heating up the kitchen? Purchase frozen pre-cooked rice and frozen edamame in the pod. Both can be prepared quickly in the microwave. Drain the edamame pods and sprinkle with flaky salt before serving.
- tip 3 Resist the urge to brush the chicken with the honey mixture before the last couple of minutes of grilling. As a general rule, when grilling, sweet sauces will burn if applied too early.
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How Long Does It Take To Cook Chicken Thighs
Boneless skinless chicken thighs will cook in about 6-7 minutes per side on the grill or in a pan on the stove. You can bake boneless skinless thighs at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs will bake at 400 degrees F for about 45 minutes. You can also use a meat thermometer to gauge when your chicken is done. The chicken should register at least 165 degrees F to be safe to eat.
Reasons Youll Love This Recipe
Flavor Packed The ingredients in this chicken recipe pack a huge punch!
So Easy You only need 4 simple, budget-friendly ingredients and 30 minutes of your day to make this recipe. Does it really get much easier than that?
Air Fryer Air fryers just make life better, and really work wonders on this chicken.
Oven Option Fear not, if you dont have an air fryer you can still make this wonderful chicken recipe in the oven!
Go Side Dish Crazy Cranberry chicken goes perfectly with many different side dishes. Pair it with any kind of starch like white or brown rice, any kind of potatoes, or pasta. This also works with lots of veggies or even chopped up on a salad.
Its always the ingredients you least expect that make an amazing meal like cranberry sauce! Who wouldve thought adding that to a chicken marinade would make the best dish youve had in awhile. Seriously your dinner guests are going to love this, and more so youre going to love how crazy easy this chicken is to make.
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Tips For The Best Chicken Thigh Marinade Recipe
- Make Ahead: if possible, marinate the chicken thighs overnight. This will yield the most tender, juicy meat. At a minimum, let the chicken sit in the marinade for 2-3 hours.
- Use fresh herbs for the best flavor. If you dont have access to fresh rosemary or oregano, its fine to use a smaller amount of the dried herbs instead.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken and on the temperature of the meat when it goes into the oven or onto the grill. As a result, a meat thermometer is always the best way to know when your chicken is done. It will be perfectly tender and juicy when it reaches 165° F.
How Long Do I Cook Chicken Thighs In The Oven And What Temperature
Bake boneless skinless thighs at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, turning them twice while baking to ensure they stay juicy while baking. Lastly, broil under high heat to get charred edges for 5 minutes.
Baked chicken thighs should have an internal reading of 165°F .
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Grilled Chicken Thighs With Soy Marinade
Low-sodium soy sauce, extra-virgin olive oil, and garlic flavor boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this easy, healthy recipe adapted from Cooking Light. Just remember to marinate the chicken at least 4 hours ahead , and this dish comes together fast. Serve with cold noodles or rice.
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 25 mins plus at least 4 hrs marinating time
- Active: 20 mins
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Why This Will Be Your Favorite Thing To Throw On The Grill
- Fast. Not including the marinating time, these grilled chicken thighs are done in under 30 minutes.
- Easy. Marinate, grill, temp, and serve. A simple recipe that is perfect for beginner grilling.
- Low Carb. Only 2 net carbs per serving, making this a great option for weekly keto meal prep.
- Versatile. Mix up the flavors in the marinade to make these chicken thighs pair with a variety of side dishes.
Grilled chicken thighs are a great option for a quick, easy, and delicious meal that will please everyone in the family. With this recipe, you’ll have a delicious and juicy grilled chicken in no time.
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Homemade General Tso’s Chicken
Takeout classic General Tso’s is a delectable dish of crispy chunks of fried chicken tossed in a sticky, sweet sauce based on soy and brown sugar, then showered in sesame seeds. And while making the dish at home requires some diligence and a few steps, it’s not complicated and is a great way to assure the quality of all the ingredients.
You’ll start by taking bite-sized pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and “velveting” them in a mix of egg white, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine or mirin. Then, you’ll toss the chunks in cornstarch and fry them in your wok in hot vegetable oil. After you drain the chicken and most of the oil from the pan, sauté garlic and ginger, add in your homemade sauce of dark and light soy sauces, brown sugar, hoisin, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil and simmer it, allowing it to reduce. The crunchy chicken goes back in for a quick toss in the sauce and is garnished with sliced scallions and sesame seeds before being served over hot rice.
How To Freeze For Later
You can also freeze grilled chicken thighs for up to 4 months, but you should be aware that frozen and thawed chicken can lose some of its texture and moisture.
To freeze grilled chicken thighs, make sure they are cooled down completely and then wrap each one in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, ensuring there’s as little air as possible. Then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag, and store them in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat them, thaw the chicken in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it until it’s hot throughout before serving.
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These Chicken Thighs Can Be Baked Air Fried Or Grilled Heres How To Cook Them All 3 Ways
Air Fryer: Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Spray basket with nonstick, and place chicken thighs in air fryer basket. Cook for roughly 15 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees fahrenheit at its thickest point.
Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with foil, and spray with nonstick. Place chicken onto foil lined pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Chicken is done once it reaches 165 degrees fahrenheit at its thickest point. *For a charred exterior, remove chicken once it is almost fully cooked, and turn broiler on. Place chicken back into oven for 2 minutes .
Grill: Preheat grill to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Place chicken on grill, and flip over at the 10 minute mark. Continue to cook for additional 10-12 minutes. Chicken is fully cooked once it reaches 165 degrees internally.
If you are a fan of chicken recipes, heres a few more of our favorites:
- 1tbspbrown sugar
Can You Freeze Chicken Thighs In A Marinade
Yes, you can prepare this recipe as a freezer meal by placing the raw chicken thighs in a large Ziploc freezer bag with the marinade. Squeeze out all of the air from the bag, lay the bag flat, and freeze for up to 3 months. When youre ready to use the chicken, place the bag in the refrigerator to thaw overnight before cooking according to the recipe instructions.
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This Honey Soy Chicken Stir Fry With Vegetables Topped Off With A Sweet And Savory Sauce Is The Perfect Easy Dinner For A Busy Week Night
Chicken is my go-to for days when Im trying to get dinner on the table in a hurry and this Honey Soy Chicken Stir Fry is a family favorite! With plenty of tender chicken pieces and fresh vegetables all tossed in an easy sauce. I start a pot of rice at the same time as I make my chicken, and dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes!
Tips For The Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
- If you dont have fresh ginger, use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Periodically, check on the chicken as it cooks. If the marinade seems to be drying up in the baking dish, add about 1/4 cup of chicken broth.
- If the chicken is getting overly dark, you can cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil. You can also lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees
- For the honey and soy sauce marinade, I like to press the garlic and the ginger. If your oven runs hot, minced garlic can burn easily.
- The Asian inspired honey soy sauce chicken marinade can be used to marinate chicken breasts, pork chops, pork loin and lamb chops.
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What You Need For Honey Soy Chicken
Heres what you need for this Honey Soy Chicken. I feel like theres a good chance you already have all these ingredients!!
Chinese cooking wine is the secret ingredient here. Without it, you will really notice that the flavour is a bit too one dimensional, especially the sauce. Used in practically all cooked Chinese recipes such as stir fries and noodles.
Substitutes in order of preference dry sherry, Mirin, cooking sake. Best non alcoholic substitute is chicken stock.
Some Recipe Trivia! You dont need cooking wine when making Honey Soy Chicken on the stove or in the oven because you cook the chicken in the sauce and this gives the sauce greater depth of flavour. But when cooking on the BBQ, we dont have that option so both the sauce and the marinade needs an extra dash of flavour which we get from the Chinese cooking wine.
Though this recipe particularly caters to grilled chicken, its still excellent for stovetop cooking when you want a premium version of the stove or oven version .
