Easy sweet chile chicken thighs are ready to party
Sweet chili chicken thighs are weeknighteasy yet delicious enough for party fare. Chicken thighs are sauteed, then braised with a simple chile sauce-soy mixture. Storebought Thai sweet chile sauce provides a spicy-sweet backbeat for the sauce. I generally use bone-in, skin-on thighs, but boned and skinned ones can be substituted.
I nabbed the recipe from “Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook,” by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35). Greenspan notes that the dish can be adapted to utilize two pork tenderloins instead of chicken, specifying that braising time in Step 4 should be increased to 40 minutes or until pork reaches 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Allow the pork to rest for 5 minutes, and then cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices.
Sweet chile chicken thighs
Yield: 4servings
INGREDIENTS
2tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, or as needed, divided use
1medium onion, finely chopped
1 / -3teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2garlic cloves, minced
Salt to taste
/ cup dry white wine
8chicken thighs, with or without skin and bones, patted dry; see cook’s notes
/ cup Thai sweet chile sauce, see cook’s notes
/ cup soy sauce
2tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-1 / teaspoons Sriracha sauce, to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garnish: green onions, sliced on the diagonal, and if desired a small amount of dried red chile flakes
Cook’s notes: If using skin-on thighs, trim
PROCEDURE
1. Warm 1tablespoon oil in nonstick, large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and garlic; season lightly with salt and cook, stirring, until they soften a bit and are translucent but not browned, about 4 minutes.
2. Add white wine and increase heat to medium-high and cook until most of wine evaporates, about 2minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
3. Return skillet to medium heat and add remaining 1tablespoon oil. Place thighs in pan and brown on all sides, adding more oil if necessary. (If the thighs are too crowded, do them in two batches.) Pour off and discard oil. If you have burned bits stuck on the pan, remove chicken and wipe out with paper towel, then return chicken. Off heat, return onion mixture along with any juices that accumulated. In a small bowl, stir together chile sauce, soy sauce, mustard and Sriracha; add to pan. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cover and cook on medium-low, basting occasionally, for 30-35minutes or until chicken is opaque in center; an instant-read thermometer should register 165 degrees.
5. Transfer chicken to serving platter (or serve from the pan if you like). Spoon over a generous amount of sauce. Sprinkle with green onion slices and, if desired, dried red chile flakes. Pass remaining sauce at the table.