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Chicken so full of flavour, yet so simple, that these need NO marinading. Roasted Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs with Steamed Bok Choy is simplistic and satisfying!
Who has time to marinade anyway? Especially when you come home in a manic rush and starving to the point of raiding anything that looks good in the pantry.
Why This Recipe Works
You know how I like to keep things simple, right? And juicy? Well, to get to the point…that’s this chicken. The glaze on its own is such a beautiful thick sauce, the perfect combination of sweet and sexy — I mean sweet and salty — it’s hard not to dip your chicken into it with every bite.
On days when I am craving some Asian food, I almost always end up making my Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs or my favorite Honey Garlic Chicken. This recipe is inspired by those flavors, but has that beautiful crispy and caramelised exterior that makes it SO much better.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Chicken thighs: I used bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs here. The skin crisps up beautifully in the oven and gives that bit of crunch, while the inside stays soft and juicy.
- Aromatics: Fresh ginger and garlic. This duo brings in that beautiful aroma and savory Asian flavor.
- Veggies: I used baby bok choy and some chopped green onions to garnish.
- Soy sauce: The star of any good Asian recipe- soy sauce. This adds a splash of color to the chicken and a depth of umami flavor.
- Rice wine vinegar: Vinegar adds a burst of tangy flavor to the sauce. Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you don’t have rice wine vinegar.
- Honey: For that beautiful glaze, and of course, the delicate sweetness.
- Brown sugar: To balance out the other flavors and lend a nice bit of sweetness to the sauce.
- Sesame oil: For that authentic Asian flavor. You could use avocado oil, olive oil or another neutral cooking oil too, but if you can find sesame oil, I would highly recommend using it.
Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements
How To Make (Step By Step)
It’s the perfect easy chicken dinner recipe that the whole family will love! The sweet, savory and sticky glaze and the delicate, tender chicken is just a combination that’s hard to beat!
- Prepare the sauce: Preheat oven to 425F. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sesame oil, honey, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Boil, then heat on low and simmer until thick.
- Coat chicken: Pat dry the chicken and transfer to a skillet or an oven proof baking dish. Pour ⅔ of the sauce over the chicken and mix well until nicely coated.
- Cook until crispy: Place the chicken skin down on the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Flip it over and cook for another 15 minutes being careful not to burn it.
- Finish up and serve: Change the oven setting to boil in the last 5 minutes of cooking to get the skin nice and crispy. Meanwhile, steam the bok choy. Once the chicken is done, serve with the bok choy.
Enjoy these Roasted Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs with some steamed rice to make it a wholesome meal. I love pairing it with my classic Fried Rice with Bacon. If you’re looking for a low-carb side to team up with it, try my simple Cauliflower Fried Rice or Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice recipe.
Recipe FAQ’s
You absolutely can! I love using chicken thighs because they have a lot of flavor. You can use chicken breasts or even chicken drumsticks if you want to.
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. If it is 165 degrees or more, it is safe to eat. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, cut through the thickest portion to see if the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink.
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Simple Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone in and skin on
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon crushed ginger fresh
- 2 bunches baby bok choy quartered horizontally
- 1 stem sliced green onion/shallot to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C | 425°F
- Wash chicken thighs and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil; reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes while stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. Take off heat and allow to cool slightly. Place chicken thighs into an oven proof pan/skillet or baking dish. Pour 2/3 of the sauce mixture over the chicken, rotating each thigh until evenly covered. Rotate the chicken to be skin side down, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn thighs and continue to bake until beginning to brown on the skin (about another 15 minutes). At this point, start steaming your bok choy (or any other vegetable), to your desired texture (crunchy, soft, etc).
- Change oven settings to grill/broil on medium heat and grill until the skin changes to deep golden in colour (about 5 minutes).
- Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Serve with the steamed bok choy, shallots/green onion slices and remaining sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made this Asian chicken recipe and it’s a really great Chinese taste.
My daughter’s boyfriend typically makes various Chinese dishes and this was right on par with his cooking.
He’s is traveling now so we are missing his food… this is a really great one and we will make it again when he’s back!
I’m sure he’ll love it 😍…
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! For now, this one should do the trick and keep those Chinese food cravings totally satisfied. Can’t wait to hear what you’ll try cooking next!
Delicious, my new go to recipe. Thankyou
This is my go-to chicken recipe. I make it, at the very least, once a month. My family loves it and it pairs well with ginger-garlic rice.
Amazing!