Sticky lemon chicken

Name: Sticky lemon chicken
Ingredients: 1 kg boneless chicken thighs; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 large head of garlic (60 g); 500 ml water; 1 large lemon (250 g); 4 tablespoons olive oil; 4 thyme sprigs; 45 ml cherry balsamic vinegar; 30 ml soy sauce; 45 ml honey; 15 g parsley

Meat - Sticky lemon chicken by Geanina D. - Recipia

Sticky lemon chicken is browned in a pan and cooked without marinating, then gets a glossy, tangy sauce with honey, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. It’s pan-fried lemon chicken, with thin citrus slices and thyme. I don’t like sweet meat dishes; here, the honey doesn’t make the sauce sweet. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 26 minutes. Total time: 46 minutes. Serves: 4. Approximately 590 kcal and 50 g of protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 kg boneless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 large head of garlic (60 g)
500 ml water
1 large lemon (250 g)
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 thyme sprigs
45 ml cherry balsamic vinegar
30 ml soy sauce
45 ml honey
15 g parsley

Preparation

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season them with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper. 2. Peel the garlic cloves and cut them in half. 3. Heat 500 ml of water for about 2 minutes. Peel at least half the lemon, then slice it thinly. 4. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Brown the chicken thighs with the garlic and thyme sprigs for 3 minutes on each side, in two batches if the pan is crowded. Remove the garlic after the first batch, before it burns. 5. Return all the chicken thighs to the pan if you browned them in batches. Pour in 45 ml of balsamic vinegar and simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes, until it reduces a little. 6. Add 30 ml of soy sauce and 45 ml of honey. Swirl the pan to mix the sauce. 7. Pour the hot water over the chicken, until it comes about halfway up the pieces. 8. Add the lemon slices and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the sauce is syrupy and the chicken is cooked through. 9. Arrange the chicken on a platter and pour the sauce over it, with a few lemon slices. Sprinkle with 15 g of chopped parsley, if using.

Notes

I serve it with champ and boiled green beans; after boiling, the beans are cooled in ice water to keep their color. If you can’t find cherry balsamic vinegar, use regular balsamic in the same amount; the flavor will be sharper. For a gluten-free version, swap the soy sauce for certified gluten-free tamari; some soy sauces contain wheat. Choose boneless thighs of a similar thickness so they cook through at the same time. If the lemon has a very thick peel, remove more of the white pith, which can make the sauce bitter. A wide frying pan, about 30 cm across, lets the pieces sit in a single layer while browning. Cooked chicken keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days; when reheating, add a little water if the sauce has thickened too much.