The chicken marinates in the most delectable mixture of soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and more. The resulting baked chicken is SO tender, juicy, moist, and loaded with Asian-inspired flavors! Even better, this is a one-pan, EASY recipe the whole family will adore!
1tablespoonapple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegarnot white vinegar
3 to 4clovesgarlicfinely minced
1 to 2teaspoonsground gingeror about 2 heaping teaspoons freshly grated, or to taste
6bone-inskin-on chicken thighs*
Green onions or sesame seedsoptional for garnishing
Salt and pepperoptional and to taste for serving
Instructions
To a medium bowl, add all the ingredients (except the chicken and green onions) and whisk together to create the marinade.
To a large 3-quart baking dish or casserole dish, or 9x13-inch pan (or similar), add the chicken.
Evenly drizzle the marinde over the top of the chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Tip - The longer you marinate, the juicier, moister, and more flavorful the chicken will be.
When you're ready to bake the chicken, remove the baking pan from the fridge and allow it to come to room temp while you preheat the oven to 425F.
Bake the chicken for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the internal temp registers 160F as measured by a digital thermometer.Tip - Do not guess and use a thermometer instead.
Optionally, but recommended, broil the chicken for about 3 to 5 minutes to create a lightly crisped top and add golden brown color. Tips - Watch it like a hawk and don't get distracted because it can burn in a matter of 1 minute, you don't have to broil on the top rack - read blog post for more detailed tips and info on broiling successfully and not burning it!
Allow the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes in the baking pan before optionally garnishing with green onions or sesame seeds and serving, with salt and pepper to taste if desired. Tips - As the chicken rests, the internal temperature will continue to rise to 165F, ensuring it is done to a safe temp. Plus it will be juicier if you give it a bit of time to rest.
Leftover chicken will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave.
Notes
*I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. They are so much more flavorful and juicy than any other type of chicken in my opinion for this recipe!However, you can use any combination of bone-in or boneless with skin-on or skinless.
Cooking Times - Bone-in chicken (either thighs or breasts) takes a bit longer to cook through. Therefore, if you are using boneless chicken, make sure to start checking after 18 to 20 minutes for doneness since this is quite a hot oven.Skin-on chicken also takes a bit longer to cook through compared to skinless. So again, if you’re using skinless chicken, make sure to start checking it at 18 to 20 minutes.