I have a complicated relationship with chicken breast. It’s generally dry and flavorless when you compare it to its dark meat counterpart. My dad, who was not the greatest cook when I was growing up, always made his signature BBQ chicken, which was broiled chicken slathered in bottled BBQ sauce cooked beyond the limits of what a chicken should be cooked. My dad’s cooking abilities as well as my tolerance for chicken breast grew overtime. That being said, I won’t lie. I will generally reach for chicken thighs over breasts 9 out of 10 times. This happened to be my 1 of 10. The recipe is adapted from Melissa Clark‘s latest cookbook DINNER: Changing the Game.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2.5 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 Tbsp tamarind paste
- 1/2 tsp red chile flakes
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 pounds bone-in skin on chicken breasts
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- Handful of cilantro
- Crisp lettuce leaves (I used Bibb and radicchio)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, tamarind, chile flakes, lime zest and garlic.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Add chicken to the bowl and turn to coat pieces in the sauce. I marinated the chicken for 8 hours. Arrange the chicken on a sheet pan and poured sauce on top.
- Roast the chicken, turning occasionally and cook for 40-50 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F.
- Top the chicken with black pepper, jalapeno slices, and cilantro. Serve over lettuce leaves.
Katie Eats Boston 