Lemon-Ginger Chicken Thighs

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For a fast and healthy chicken dinner, try our lemon-ginger chicken recipe. The sweet and salty combination of honey and soy sauce adds irresistible flavor.

lemon ginger chicken thighs
Photo:

BHG / Sonia Bozzo

Total Time:
35 mins
Servings:
4

Looking to save money on family-friendly dinners? Swap in chicken thighs for chicken breasts for a noticeable cost savings. Chicken thighs are still a lean protein just like chicken breasts, but, as a dark meat, they contain more fat. That additional fat makes thighs more tender and flavorful. So even before you add the citrus-ginger rub and the simple four-ingredient sauce, this recipe has a head start in flavor. If you find you like thighs just as much or more than breasts, we have more chicken thigh recipes for you to try.

The short list of ingredients can be prepped even faster with the help of a Microplane zester (aka rasp). It can be used both to remove the zest from the lemon and to grate the fresh ginger, with no need to wash between ingredients since they're both going into the same rub mixture. Another kitchen tool that can help make cooking this skillet meal a bit easier is an instant-read thermometer. You won't have to keep checking doneness of the chicken if you just leave the probe of a thermometer in the meat to see when it reaches the proper temperature. This can speed up cooking because you're not repeatedly removing the lid and letting heat escape. Chicken thighs are considered safe to eat when they hit 180℉ compared to breasts that are done at 165℉.

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon

  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoon honey

  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

  • 8 chicken thighs with bone

  • 2 teaspoon vegetable oil

  • Sliced green onions and lemon wedges (optional)

Directions

  1. shredded lemon peel and lemon guidece

    BHG / Sonia Bozzo

    Finely shred peel from lemon and juice lemon.

  2. In bowl combine the lemon peel, ginger and salt. In another bowl combine lemon juice, honey, soy sauce and 2 Tbsp. water.

  3. lemon peel mixture and marinade

    BHG / Sonia Bozzo

    Rub lemon peel mixture under the skin of the chicken thighs. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

  4. chicken thighs cooking in pan

    BHG / Sonia Bozzo

    Place chicken, skin side down, in the hot oil. Cook 7 minutes or until well-browned.

  5. cooking chicken thighs

    BHG / Sonia Bozzo

    Turn the chicken and add lemon juice mixture. Reduce heat; cover and cook 14 to 18 minutes longer or until done (180 degrees F.).

  6. lemon ginger chicken thighs

    BHG / Sonia Bozzo

    Transfer chicken to plates. Skim fat from pan juices, if desired. Drizzle chicken with some of the pan juices. Top with green onion and serve with lemon wedges.

To peel ginger: Before you can grate ginger, you need to remove the papery peel. Its knobby shape can make this a challenge. Instead of turning to your vegetable peeler, which will have a hard time with all the nooks and crannies of ginger root, use a spoon. Turn the spoon down toward the ginger so the convex part is facing toward you and with the edge of a spoon, gently scrape down on the ginger to peel the skin away.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

459 Calories
31g Fat
12g Carbs
33g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 459
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 158mg 53%
Sodium 567mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 33g 66%
Vitamin C 24.8mg 28%
Calcium 40.4mg 3%
Iron 2.2mg 12%
Potassium 412mg 9%
Folate, total 16.1mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.5mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.5mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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