STICKY CHICKEN THIGHS with Ginger and Garlic
Beloved by home cooks and professionals alike, the cast iron skillet is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment in your kitchen arsenal. Perfect for every meal of the day, the cast iron pan can be used to cook eggs, sear meat, roast whole dinners, and serve up dessert warm from the oven.
Anne Byrn has carefully curated 160 recipes to be made in one simple 12-inch cast iron skillet. These are dishes everyone can enjoy, including:
- Easy Garlic Skillet Knots
- Last-Minute Scalloped Potatoes
- Skillet Eggplant Parmesan
- Georgia Burnt Caramel Cake
- Brown Sugar Skillet Blondies
And more!
Scattered throughout are fun tidbits about the origins of the cast iron skillet and how to properly season and care for them. Anne Byrn has crafted an informative, adaptable, and deliciously indispensable guide to skillet recipes the whole family is sure to love.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Marinate: As little as 20 minutes or up to 4 hours | Cook: 55 to 60 minutes
The iron skillet loves recipes in which the marinade and sauce cook and caramelize in the pan. When this simple sauce of honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger simmers down, it gets syrupy and sticky. Chicken thighs are basted with these sticky pan juices, turning the chicken a gorgeous mahogany color. What’s left of the sauce can be served over the chicken and rice and is even more delicious the next day.
2 POUNDS BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS
- 1/2 cup honey (see Note)
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- Steamed white rice, for serving
- Green onion slivers, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. Trim the chicken thighs of excess fat, and put them in a medium glass bowl or zipper-lock bag.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and soy sauce. Fold in the garlic and ginger. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken thighs and turn to coat. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and let the chicken marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or in the fridge for up to 4 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
4. Pour the chicken and marinade into a 12-inch skillet. Tuck the edges of the chicken under to form rounded thighs that dome in the center. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the skillet and turn the chicken, basting with the pan juices. Return to the oven for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the skillet from the oven and place it over medium-low heat. Let the chicken and marinade simmer, turning the chicken every 2 or 3 minutes, until the marinade thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. The chicken will have turned a mahogany color, and the juices will be syrupy and sticky. Serve with rice, and garnish with slivers of green onion.
NOTE: Spray a liquid measuring cup with vegetable oilbefore measuring honey. The oil keeps the honey from sticking to the cup.
