Vietnamese-style baked chicken; Chicken thighs (or breasts) marinated in a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, herbs and lime juice and then oven-baked to create a dish infused with flavor and browned to perfection.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Keyword: Chicken, Easy
Author: Emily Clifton, Nerds with Knives
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Ingredients
2pounds900g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/4cup60ml soy sauce
1/4cup60ml Asian fish sauce
1/4cup55g palm or dark brown sugar
1tablespoon10g minced peeled fresh ginger
2teaspoons10ml hot chili-garlic paste (sambal oelek)
1 1/2tablespoons20ml fresh juice from 1 lime
1teaspoon5g finely grated zest from 1 lime
3garlic clovesminced or grated (about 2 teaspoons)
Place thighs in a large zipper-lock bag. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, ginger, chili-garlic paste, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, cilantro, and oil. Pour marinade into bag with chicken, seal bag, and toss to coat well. Let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) and set oven rack to middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Remove chicken from bag, allowing marinade to drip off, and set on wire rack skin side up, making sure to leave space between thighs. Marinade can be discarded or turned into a sauce. See note below*. Bake until thighs register 155 to 160°F (68 to 71°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 35 minutes. (Be sure to measure temperature in the center of the thickest part of the thighs, but not directly against the bone.) If chicken skin is not brown and crisp enough by the time the thighs are cooked through, turn on oven broiler and broil until browned and crisp, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the skin. Transfer chicken to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with lime slices and cilantro, then serve.
Notes
Marinade can be made into a sauce. Pour it into a small saucepan and bring it to a full boil. Lower it to a simmer and allow it to reduce by about a third (3 to 5 minutes).