It’s Sunday again, which means it’s time to celebrate #SundaySupper. This week we’re preparing recipes for Labor day, which snuck up on me this year. This recipe for Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs is perfect to celebrate the end of summer.

I completely forgot that Labor day was on Monday until my girlfriend asked me what I was doing over the weekend for the holiday, “Holiday? What holiday?” My girlfriend replied, “Um, you know. Labor day.” Ugh, I had completely and utterly forgot about Labor day.

Can you believe Summer is almost over? I swear it just arrived and now it’s over. I feel like summer completely eluded me this year.

I didn’t get around to completing half of the items on my To-Do list:

– Take more than one trip to the beach
– Visit a few farmer’s markets
– Take some day trips
– Visit a few mueseums
– Finish renovating office
– Go camping
– Make pickles

Summer is over, and these items are still on my list waiting to be crossed off, which is never going to happen by Monday. Well, I suppose there’s always next year.

In honor of Labor day and the last hurrah of grilling season, I’ve cooked up some Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs. These thighs get soaked in a soy and orange marinade overnight, then glazed with a soy reduction made from the marinade. Let me tell you, this method makes for a super flavorful piece of chicken.

It’s finger lickin’ good!

This chicken is good grilled or baked. I was going to grill it, but we ran out of propane, so in the oven it went. It was just as good. The skin gets caramelized and crispy, while the center stays juicy and tender.

This chicken happens to be a favorite in my house. I spent time tweaking the recipe to get it just right. I knew I wanted to impart flavor into the chicken, as well as give it a saucy coating. I did this by marinating the chicken overnight, then reducing the marinade to create a salty/sweet glaze to coat the outside. What you end up with is an extremely tender piece of chicken with a perfectly crispy crust. It’s chicken perfection at its best.

Soy glaze coats your fingers, but you don’t care because you’re about to sink your teeth into that plump piece of chicken. Your teeth hit the skin, and you hear a crunch. The salty/sweet flavor hits your tongue, then you get a hint of heat in the background. A bit further and your teeth sink into the moist, juicy meat of the chicken. Next thing you know you’re fingers are in your mouth, savoring what’s left.

Print Recipe

Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes

Prep Time: 8 hours

Cook Time: 20-35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1/3 cup Low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 3 tablespoon agave or honey
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, add soy sauce, orange juice, oil, agave, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator, let marinate overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place a cookie rack on top of the foil (this prevents the chicken from sitting in the drippings and allows it to get crispy). Line the chicken thighs on top of the cookie rack and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
  3. Pour the marinade in a medium-sized saucepan and add cornstarch and brown sugar, whisk to combine. Cook on medium heat until the mixture boils and reduces into a thick glaze, about 3-4 minutes. Brush chicken with glaze and place in the oven. Cook for 35-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F., brushing the chicken with the glaze every 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Grill on each side, brushing the thighs with the glaze every few minutes, until cooked through, about 10 minutes per side. 
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