How to Make Asian Chicken Thighs: Easy Recipe

This simple Asian chicken recipe gives you all the flavor of take-out without all the subpar ingredients. The tangy and sticky sauce is so delicious that you will want to eat it on everything!

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Years ago when I took up following the Paleo way of eating, the Chinese buffet was no longer a go-to for a quick dinner.

Much of the time restaurants are using oils that are not of good quality. They rely on vegetable oils that are processed in a way that overheats them and causes them to go rancid before they even come close to your plate.

Avoiding these types of oils is a simple step you can take to improve your health.

The body uses the fats you eat to create your cells. If you are eating poor quality fats, you will have poor quality cells. Cells are the tiny motors that keep your body running.

Within the body, cells create tissue. Tissue creates organs that join together to create organ systems. All of these combined create an organism, or in other terms, create the body.

So as you can see, it is very important to be feeding your cells well. Healthy cells equals a health body!

All of this to say, you should make this recipe soon!!

What you need to make this recipe

Chicken Thighs – Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs are a staple in my house. They are the preferred cut to my whole crew. I recommend using thighs, but I have made it with legs and a whole cut-up chicken with great results.

Coconut Aminos – This is a healthy alternative to soy sauce. I like this one from Coconut Secrets. It is just 2 ingredients and no MSG.

Rice wine vinegar – Adds tanginess to the sauce. You can use white wine vinegar if you do not have rice wine vinegar on hand.

Fish Sauce – This helps balance the sauce and a great umami flavor. I recommend the Red Boat brand because it has no MSG or preservatives, and it is fermented.

Ginger – Not only does ginger taste great, it is also very beneficial to digestion.

Garlic Powder – Provides just a hint of garlic flavor.

Coconut Sugar – A natural sweetener that adds just a little sweetness and helps to create a sticky sauce. Coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index, so it will not create a blood sugar spike. This is optional, definitely omit if you are making this for your 21 Day Sugar Detox.

Sesame Oil – Provides more Asian flavor. By adding it to the sauce at the end, it creates a nice silky sauce.

How to make Asian-Style Chicken

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line two baking pans with parchment paper.

Spread thighs out on baking pans, 6 on each pan.

Sprinkle thighs with salt and pepper.

Bake thighs for 45-50 minutes.

While chicken is baking, mix coconut aminos, vinegar, fish sauce, ginger, garlic powder, and coconut sugar, if using, in a small saucepan. Reserve about 1/4 cup in a small bowl and add in arrowroot.

Heat sauce to a simmer, add the reserved sauce with arrowroot flour.

Allow to simmer until it begins to thicken. Turn off heat.

During the last 15 minutes of baking time, baste the chicken with sauce every 5 minutes.

After final basting, add sesame oil to the remainder of the sauce.

Once the chicken is done, baste it one last time with sauce.

The remaining sauce can be used for dipping and on your side dish.

How to meal prep this recipe

Even though this Asian Style Chicken is quick and easy to make, it is still a good meal to incorporate into meal prep. There a couple of different ways you can prep this recipe.

One option is to make the sauce ahead of time during your meal prep session, leaving out the arrowroot flour and sesame oil. Also, prep your chicken thighs or cutting up a whole chicken if you are using that instead. Then on the night you are going to have Asian Style Chicken, pull everything out of the frig and cook as noted.

Another option is to fully cook the chicken during your meal prep session, omitting the last basting with the sauce that has the sesame oil. On the night you are going to have it, place the chicken in a 350 degrees oven for 10 minutes or until warm. Once warm, baste with the sauce that has the sesame oil added. If the sauce has gotten too thick, you can thin it with a bit of water.

I really enjoy that the recipe is quick, delicious and healthy! I think you will too. Let me know in the comments below how you like it.

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