Salty, Spicy, Sweet and Sticky Asian Chicken

Salty soy sauce, sweet brown sugar and spicy garlic chili paste combine to make one of the easiest Asian inspired marinades you can imagine. A few weeks ago, I accidentally picked up a jar of garlic chili paste while grocery shopping. I was looking for my favorite chili paste, Sambal Oelek and this one looked similar enough that in a moment of distraction I picked up the wrong one.

I enjoyed the slightly different flavor of this chili paste. The garlic gives the dish a different layer of heat without actually being spicy. You can adjust the chili paste as desired, to determine how spicy the finished chicken will be. For my kids, I used just 2 tablespoons and it was perfect. There was barely any real heat, with plenty of flavor. My middle son enjoyed this so much; he ate four drumsticks before I realized how many he had!

This is such a simple recipe; I've made it a couple times already. The drumsticks were the biggest hit, although the others were delicious as well. Just marinate the chicken for a few hours, then save the marinade to reduce for a simple sauce and drizzle the finished chicken right before serving.

Salty, Spicy, Sweet and Sticky Asian Chicken
Yield: 6-8 servings

4 lbs chicken, I used 16 drumsticks this time*
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons garlic chili paste or a chili paste like Sambal Oelek plus 1 clove minced garlic

Combine the soy sauce, sugar and chili paste in a large measuring cup or bowl and whisk to combine. Place the chicken in a gallon size ziploc bag or airtight container. Cover with the marinade and seal. Place in the refrigerator, turning bag ever hour or two until ready to cook. Marinate for 4 - 6 hours.
About 30 - 60 minutes before you are ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place it on the counter to come closer to room temperature.

OVEN BROILING DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to broil. Place the chicken pieces on a foil lined baking sheet, reserving all the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil for at least 1 minute and then reduce to a slow simmer while you broil the chicken for ten minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, turn pieces over and lightly baste with the marinade. Return the chicken to the oven and cook another 5 - 8 minutes until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Serve the chicken with rice, with the slightly reduced marinade sauce either drizzled over the chicken or on the side. Enjoy!

STOVE-TOP DIRECTIONS: Warm a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken pieces in the skillet skin side down, while reserving all the marinade in a small saucepan. Cover the chicken with a lid and allow it to cook without touching it for about 10 minutes. Bring the marinade to a boil for at least 1 minute and then reduce to a slow simmer. Turn the chicken over. The skin should be super crispy and deeply browned. If it is not, increase the heat and let it cook a couple more minutes before turning it. Turn the chicken and let the other side brown for another 5 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Serve the chicken with rice, with the slightly reduced marinade sauce either drizzled over the chicken or on the side. Enjoy!

* I have also used boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts with success. Simply adjust the cooking time as necessary. Thighs and breasts will take about half as long to cook as bone-in pieces, maybe slightly longer than that, depending on thickness.

Click here for printable recipe

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