Feb 12, 2020
A part of me feels like I should change the name from "caramelized ginger chicken thighs" to "make this
shit dude its fire" but I don't think it would work out well. So caramelized ginger chicken thighs it is.
I originally got the idea when I saw it on my instagram. Another food blogger called mightyinthemitten
was making her caramelized ginger catfish and I was practically drooling while watching her insta
story. I knew I had to recreate it so here I am. I didnt want to use catfish and I didnt really want to
make caramel. I wanted something a little quicker but just as delicious and after a couple of tries I freakin'
got it.
It's really important (to me) that when you make this dish you let the oil get hot enough so the chicken
can really get a good sear. I mean it, I want cripsy chicken bits! Plus, dark meat like chicken thighs, legs or
wings never dries out so really crisping it up and rendering out some fat is by far the way to go!
Once both sides of that chicken is nice and crispy pour over that sweet and savory sauce and just watch
how the whole dish comes together in just a matter of seconds. The sauce almost instantly turns to this
sticky, slightly sweet, and crazy flavorful chicken dish.
Oh and if you're not a crazy ginger fan... don't worry about it cause the ginger isn't crazy strong. Don't get
me wrong you can taste it but its ever so light that you'll totally forget its there. However, if you really like
ginger then double the amount!
Serves 2 -4
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon of oil (I use avocado oil)
1 pound of chicken thighs, skinless & boneless
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 knob of ginger, sliced into thin match sticks
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon of aleppo pepper
pinch of salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup of water
scallions to garnish
Instructions:
Start by adding 2 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet and heating it on high until you start to see teeny tiny wisps of smoke. Add in your chicken thighs in a single layer and let them sear for 4 minutes. Flip them over and then continue to let them cook for another 3 minutes. You really want to get some nice color on them!
Next, sprinkle on 1 onion that has been thinly slices, 2 finely diced cloves of garlic, and a ton of thinly sliced ginger. Toss to combine everything and lower the heat to medium high. Continue cooking for another 1 - 2 minutes.
In the meantime, combine 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a small bowl. Pour over the chicken and stir to make sure it cooks properly.
Lastly add in 1/4 teaspoon aleppo pepper and 1/4 cup of water. Cook for another 2 minutes or until your sauce become thick and saucy again and your chicken has absorbed some of that delicious sauce. Give it a taste, if you think you could use some salt & pepper add a bit in. If not, sprinkle on some scallion and serve with warm rice!
Note: If you want it to be saucier I would double the sauce ingredients ( 6 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoon of fish sauce, 2 tablespoon of shaoxing wine, 2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 teaspoon of sesame oil)