Easy Baked Ginger Chicken

I started feeling a little under the weather a few weeks ago and made this ginger chicken so I could pack in as much immune-boosting, antioxidant-rich ginger into my diet as possible.  The amount of ginger in this recipe might seem excessive (see recipe below for a tip on mincing large amounts of ginger), but the baking mellows out any bite and it all melds together nicely.  I usually use chicken thighs since they are virtually impossible to overcook, but chicken breasts would also work well if that’s your preference.  The overnight marination is essential to deepen the ginger-soy-sesame flavors, but the slight effort in early preparation pays off the next day when all you need to do is place the dish in the oven.  As the chicken bakes, a savory sauce develops and is wonderful when accompanied with a bed of brown rice or whole-grain noodles.  The ginger scallion garnish adds a nice touch at the end, but it is certainly optional and fine without.  This dish is also great leftover and can be served warmed or at room temperature.

Easy Baked Ginger Chicken

• Yield: 6-8

Ingredients

• 12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 4 1/2 pounds
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, about 6 garlic cloves (see note)
• 3 tablespoons minced ginger, about 3-inch piece ginger (see note)
• extra ginger and scallions for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Arrange chicken thighs skin-side down in a 9×13 baking dish.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger until honey is melted and well blended. Pour mixture evenly over the chicken thighs. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Take chicken out of refrigerator while oven is preheating. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Raise temperature to 375. Remove foil and turn chicken thighs to skin-side up. Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes, until juices run clear.
4. To serve, garnish with finely julienned ginger and scallions, if desired.

Notes

To quickly mince garlic and ginger, coarsely chop and pulse garlic and ginger separately in a mini-prep food processor.

adapted from Barefoot Contessa