Chinese-American · main

Sweet Chili Glazed Chicken Thighs

Sweet Chili Glazed Chicken Thighs reads umami 7.7, richness 5.5 and salinity 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 25 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.7 · Richness 5.5 · Salinity 5.2 · Allium 4.3 · Nutty 4.2 · Heat 3.7 · Sourness 3.3 · Funk & Ferment 2.9 · Sweetness 2.5 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Bitterness 1.6 · Fruity 1.4 · Floral 1.3 · Earthy 1.0 · Smoke 0.5

What's in it (13)

Time & effort: about 25 min (20 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 145.2 kcal, 28.6 g protein, 3.2 g fat, 0.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

  1. Preheat the broiler to high with a rack positioned 6 inches from the heat element. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
  2. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thighs skin-side down and sear until deeply golden and crisp, 7-8 minutes.
  3. Flip the thighs and sear the second side until golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate skin-side up, then pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
  4. Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and saute over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Stir in the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.
  6. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.
  7. Return the thighs to the skillet skin-side up and spoon glaze over each. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until the glaze is bubbling and lightly charred at the edges and the chicken reaches 165F internal, 4-5 minutes.
  8. Let the chicken rest in the skillet 5 minutes, then spoon the remaining pan glaze over the thighs.
  9. Scatter with scallions and sesame seeds and serve.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.