Dessert
Sticky Tamarind Chicken with Crisp Lettuce
Tamarind, honey, and lime zest create a glossy caramelized glaze that clings to juicy chicken thighs, delivering sweet, tangy, and savory bites with a gentle chile heat. Crisp lettuce leaves provide cool crunch that contrasts the rich, sticky meat.
- Total
- 52 min
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 37 min
- Serves
- 6
Nutrition per Serving
- Calories
- 329
- Protein
- 46g
- Carbs
- 10g
- Fat
- 11g
- Sugar
- 9g
- Sodium
- 1200mg
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Asian fish sauce
- 2 1/2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp tamarind paste or concentrate
- 1/2 tsp red chile flakes
- Grated zest of 1 lime
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 12 bone-in (skinless chicken thights, trimmed, about 5 oz each (if using boneless, 4 oz each))
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 jalapeño (sliced (optional))
- cilantro (for garnish (optional))
- Crisp lettuce leaves (such as Bibb or romaine, for serving)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, tamarind, chile flakes, lime zest, and garlic.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Add the chicken to the sauce in the bowl, and turn to coat the pieces well. Arrange the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, and pour the sauce over it. (If you like, you can refrigerate the chicken at this point, covered, for up to 24 hours.) Roast, turning the chicken occasionally, until it is cooked through and caramelized, 30 to 35 minutes. After roasting, if you wish to brown run them under the broiler 1 or 2 minutes.
- Top the chicken with plenty of black pepper, cilantro and jalapeño slices if desired. Serve over lettuce leaves.