About the Recipe

I love sesame chicken. This recipe is a melange of several of my favorite takes on the dish. The peanut sauce can be made up to a month or two ahead and refrigerated. I always make extra. The chicken is best when allowed to marinate for at least 24 (and up to 48) hours in the fridge.

I like this chicken both hot or room temperature. In summer it makes great picnic fare. Serve with an Asian side salad or for a more elaborate meal, summer rolls, sesame noodles, Asian slaw and/or a cucumber-avocado salad with Chinese vinegar and soy all work well.

Ginger, Garlic & Sesame Glazed Chicken with with Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce

Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 teaspoons kosher salt plus more as needed
4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
8 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
5-6 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 recipe Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce (see below)
2 tablespoons neutral oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced and ¼ cup cilantro chopped for garnish

For the Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce:

2 tbsp neutral oil such as canola
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
5 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter or tahini or a mixture
1/2 cup water
1 tsp sambal olek or Chinese chile paste or more to taste
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil or more to taste

Method

For the Chicken:

Mix together sesame oil, salt, ginger and garlic. Add 4 tablespoons of the peanut dipping sauce and smear mixture all over the chicken and underneath the skin. Use it all. Place in a lidded container or large ziplock bag and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 48 hours. 2-3 hours before baking, remove chicken from refrigerator and place on a rimmed baking sheet. You can line the baking sheet with parchment to make clean-up easier, but it’s not necessary.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle chicken with the neutral oil. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pricked with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes or less and about 158 on a thermometer. Can broil briefly to crisp up if needed.
3.Transfer chicken to a serving platter and carefully pour any pan juices on the baking sheet into the bowl with the peanut sauce. Whisk until combined. Taste the sauce and add more soy sauce, vinegar or hoisin if you’d like.
4.Drizzle or brush some of the peanut sauce all over chicken pieces, reserving some sauce for serving. Garnish with scallions and cilantro and serve with reserved peanut sauce.

For the Vietnamese Peanut Dipping Sauce:

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add oil, garlic, and ginger. Saute until vegetables are lightly browned.
Whisk in the hoisin, peanut butter and water.
Once it boils, immediately remove from heat and add the chile paste. The sauce will thicken a lot as it cools. Once cool, add the sesame oil and adjust other ingredients to taste