Gingery Chicken and Rice With Peanut Sauce
Category: dinner
Recipe as-is tends to be rice-heavy. Add more chicken thighs or reduce rice.
Ingredients
- Chicken & Rice
- 6 small boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 lb.)
- 2 large shallots, finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2” piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
- 2 cups high-quality basmati rice, rinsed
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- Sauce and Assembly (double!)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
- 5 tsp. Sriracha
- 1” piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
- 1.5 tsp. honey
- 1 English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced on a dia
- 1 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
Instructions
Chicken & Rice
Step 1
Season chicken. Heat 2 Tbsp neutral oil in a Dutch oven. Place chicken skin-side down. Cook,undisturbed, until skin is golden brown and crisp and easily releases from pot, 8-10 minutes. Slide thighs around to different spots (this will ensure even browning) and continue to cook until deeply browned, 3-5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let pot cool 2 minutes.
Step 2
Set pot over medium-low heat; add shallots, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice and star anise and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce, ¾ tsp. salt, and 3 cups water. Nestle chicken back into rice mixture in pot, arranging skin side up. Increase heat to medium and bring liquid to a simmer. Immediately cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let chicken and rice sit 10 minutes.
Sauce and Assembly (double!)
Step 3
While the chicken and rice are cooking, make the sauce. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha, ginger, honey, and ¼ cup warm water in a small bowl until smooth and pourable. If sauce still looks a little thick, continuing adding water until it reaches a drizzle-able consistency.
Step 4
Remove lid from pot and fluff rice with a fork. Pluck out and discard star anise. Serve chicken and rice with peanut sauce, cucumber, and cilantro alongside.
Tags: chicken / bon-appetit / asian-ish / peanut / rice