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Baked Soy Ginger Chicken Thighs feature an easy marinade that is sweet, salty, umami, and delicious. The soy ginger sauce is both a marinade and a sauce that is brushed over the chicken while baking, resulting in an irresistible sticky glaze.
How to make a soy ginger marinade for chicken thighs
Ingredients for marinade
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce – I always use low sodium soy sauce to avoid making dishes too salty while still getting the umami flavor of soy sauce.
- Rice Vinegar – this balances the sweetness and adds complexity to the sauce
- Brown Sugar – Another component of the sauce that gives depth and balances the saltiness.
- Toasted Sesame Oil – adds a toasty and nutty flavor.
- Ginger Root – ginger has an irreplaceable flavor that can’t be replicated! I use fresh ginger root grated on a microplane.
- Garlic – ginger and garlic are a winning flavor combo. I use my garlic press to make a garlic paste that incorporates into the sauce well.
- Sambal Oelek – A ground chili paste found in most grocery stores. Use more or less depending on your tastes. I use about 1/4 teaspoon because my kids don’t like spicy foods, but feel free to add more if you like things spicier!
How to make soy ginger chicken thighs
After whisking together the marinade, pour about 1/4 cup into a small bowl and set aside. This will be used to brush on the chicken while cooking, so you want it to be safe and not touch the raw chicken. Pour the rest over the chicken and marinate for AT LEAST 30 minutes, but longer is better. You can even marinate overnight.
Be sure to line a baking sheet with foil – this marinade has sugar in it, and some of it will burn in the oven. Save yourself the cleanup headache and line your pan!
The tip to getting a really nice glaze on these chicken thighs is to brush the marinade on a few times while they are baking. I usually do it at the 10 minute mark, and again at the 15 minute mark. They take a total of 18-25 minutes to bake, so I brush the glaze on a third time at the end of cooking, then bake them for another few more minutes.
How long to bake chicken thighs in the oven
For this recipe we bake skinless, boneless chicken thighs in the oven at 425 degrees F for 18-25 minutes. Chicken thighs are done when they reach an internal temperature of at least 165 F. It is always a good idea to use an instant read thermometer to make sure your meat is cooked to the correct temperature.
What to serve with soy ginger chicken thighs
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Soy Ginger Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
- sesame seeds optional, for garnish
- scallions thinly sliced, optional for garnish
For Soy Ginger Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger root
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp sambal oelek
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the Soy Ginger sauce. Reserve ¼ cup of sauce in a small bowl for brushing on the chicken while cooking.
- Pour the remainder of the sauce over the chicken in a shallow bowl. Turn the chicken to make sure it is fully coated in the sauce, and submerged as much as possible. Marinade chicken for AT LEAST 30 minutes, or over night
- When ready to cook, transfer the chicken to a lined baking sheet. Allow extra sauce to drip off and discard the marinade after removing the chicken. Bake at 425 F. for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove from oven and brush with the sauce that you had reserved, then return to the oven to cook for 5 more minutes.
- After 5 minutes, remove chicken and brush with sauce again. Return to oven for 3-5 more minutes, or until done. Chicken thighs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165 F – the total cooking time should be 18-25 minutes.
- When done, remove from oven and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
