Spicy Asian Glazed Chicken

This dish is one of our absolute favorites! Doug and I could eat it every night and never tire. It is (in my opinion) ridiculously easy to make, handles substitutions very well and is mostly things you'll have on hand in your fridge and pantry. And, the 1 or 2 ingredients you may not have readily available might become staples after just one taste!

When I make this for us, I use a combination of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (usually 3 that I halve) and boneless, skinless chicken thighs (usually 3, halved as well). I'm typically not a dark meat kinda gal, but I find this recipe lends itself very nicely to the darker meats. Doug prefers white meat though, so a breast or 3 always find their way into my pan. Feel free to experiment with other cuts of chicken (skinless legs work really well) and the spicy asian glaze adds a nice flair to boneless pork chops (you'll need to adjust your cooking time based on the thickness of the chops if you go the pork route). I haven't tried this with chicken wings yet, but it's definitely on the menu next time we have a finger food kind of get together!

Spicy Asian Glazed Chicken
Adapted from http://www.skinnytaste.com/

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halved)
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (halved)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3-4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
4 tsp honey (Agave nectar or sugar can be substituted)
1 tbsp Sriracha
Sriracha is a Thai chili sauce that is readily available at most supermarkets. If you can't find it locally, you can easily find it online. It has an intense flavor and a real kick of heat, so feel free to adjust the amount to taste. You can also substitute another hot sauce but, personally, I like the flavor of the Sriracha best.

1/2-1 tbsp butter (optional)
2 medium scallions, chopped (for garnish)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)

Calories: 286 Fat: 10g Carbohydrate: 13g Protein: 36g Fiber: 0.5g Serves: 6

In a 4 cup capacity measuring cup or medium bowl, combine chicken broth, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic, ginger, Sriracha and honey. Stir well to combine all ingredients and let stand for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Add sesame oil to a large, heavy skillet or saute pan and set over medium high heat (if you've never worked with sesame oil before, it has a deliciously nutty flavor and aroma and a little bit goes a long way). Make sure your pan is nice and hot before adding your meat. A hot pan will assist in getting a nice brown on the chicken as well as help to prevent sticking. Never use a cold pan! Cook the chicken, turning once, until it begins to brown (about 3-4 minutes per side).

Give your liquid mixture a quick stir, pour onto the chicken and cook over medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and set on a serving platter (if you're using chicken breasts you will want to remove them from the pan at about the 15 minute mark to prevent overcooking).

Bring the liquid back up to a boil and cook until it reduces by about half and starts to thicken (a good point of reference is when the liquid coats the back of a spoon).

While you're reducing your glaze, keep a close eye on it. As the liquid evaporates and the sugars caramelize it can burn easily. Once your glaze is done reducing, add the butter and stir well until it is melted and fully incorporated. The sauce should take on a nice shiny and velvety texture once the butter melts. If you're worried about fat and calories, feel free to omit the butter, but if you want that extra little splurge that will take the sauce from yum to YUM! (for about 100 calories and 11 grams of fat for the entire recipe), go for it! Pour the sauce over your chicken, top with scallions and toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!

I usually serve this dish with a homemade "fried" rice (recipe to follow another time...email me if you'd like it before I get it posted) and a steamed veg (broccoli is a fav). Tonight, I opted for plain white rice; brown rice also works well and if you're carb conscious, just add a veggie of choice and you've got a complete meal.

Bon appetit!