Lemon Ginger Chicken Thighs

This recipe for Lemon Ginger Chicken Thighs is from Better Homes and Gardens. It's easy because it's made stove-top in a skillet from start to finish.  It's delicious thanks to fresh ginger, honey and lemon.

These chicken thighs are so tasty, it's hard to stop at one! I seem to always be on the lookout for good recipes for chicken.  I think we eat chicken in this house, more than any other kind of protein...so as you can imagine, it can get boring real fast. 

I haven't done it, but I can't see why, if you aren't a fan of chicken thighs, you couldn't make this recipe using bone-in chicken breasts and adjust the cooking time a bit.  I have mentioned it before, that I am a chicken thigh convert.  There was a time I wouldn't touch any sort of dark meat, but lately, I am really liking how thighs stay so nice and moist.  With today's chickens, there isn't any sort of gamey taste either, which I think is what used to bother me the most about dark meat.

You will render quite a bit of fat off of the chicken thighs when you make this dish, mostly from the skin.  I just poured it all off before I made the sauce.

Lemon Ginger Chicken Thighs

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Servings - 4 (2 thighs per serving) or 8 (1 thigh per serving)   Serving Size - 1 thigh or 2 thighs   Points Plus per Serving - 1 thigh - 4 Points+,   2 thighs - 9 Points+

Nutritional information for 1 thigh - Calories - 163.4,   Total Fat - 9.6g,   Carb. - 5g,   Protein - 13.8g,   Fiber - 0.1g

Nutritional information for 2 thighs - Calories - 326.9,   Total Fat - 19.2g,   Carb. - 10g,   Protein - 27.7g,   Fiber - 0.1g

*Please note that this information was calculated using nutrition information that states that one small bone-in, skin-on, cooked chicken thigh is 135 calories, 8.5g total fat, 0g carb, 13.7g protein, and 0g fiber.  All calculations are approximate. 

Ingredients: 
8 small chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on, trimmed of all visible fat
1 lemon
1 TBSP fresh grated ginger
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 TBSP honey
1 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. canola oil
lemon slices for garnish (optional)

Directions: 
1.  Zest the lemon peel.  Combine the zest with the ginger and the salt.  Rub mixture under the skins of the chicken and, if there is any leftover, on the bottoms of the chicken thighs.

2.  Heat a large non-stick skillet with 2 tsp. canola oil over med-hot heat until oil is quite hot.  Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook until well-browned (about 7-8 minutes).

3.  While chicken is cooking, juice the lemon.  Combine the juice of the lemon with the honey and soy sauce.  Set aside.

4.  Once the chicken is done browning, pour off all the fat that has accumulated in the pan.  Return to heat and turn the chicken skin side up.  Pour the lemon juice/honey/soy sauce mixture on top.  Bring sauce to boil and then reduce heat.  Cover and allow to cook for 14 - 18 minutes, or until chicken is done.  (180 degrees F)

5.  To serve, arrange chicken on serving plate and drizzle with sauce.  Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

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As I mentioned, this chicken dish is a keeper.  I could not believe how tender and flavorful it was.  I might try it with chicken breasts sometime to mix things up.  

It looks like spring is slowly, slowly, slowly beginning to appear.  My tulips and daffodils are struggling to emerge.  We got more snow yesterday and last night, but just a dusting and the weather guy says this should be the last of it!  Fingers crossed!  

Tell me about the signs of spring in your neck of the woods!!