Sweet notes of strawberry and magnolia play into the heat of fresh chili paste and nutty toasted sesame seeds in this weeknight must.
There may be a lot of reasons to love spring, but as a food blogger, those 'in-between' seasons are when our best, and arguably our most, work is produced.
It's just warm enough to throw the windows open but not too hot where turning the oven on is a second thought, and of course, fresh produce is available in abundance.
I've been inspired lately by the arrival of melons and stone fruits, locally harvested berries, and NY's finest variety of apples. There's a lot of new things coming to Living the Gourmet as well as our newly re-branded Instagram page, so please be sure to follow us @LTGfood to stay up to date.
If you've been a long-time reader, you know how important it is to us to support small businesses and artisans. Not too long ago, we introduced you to one of our favorite brands- Lindera Farms which you can read more about in our debut feature post on them.
Lindera Farms specializes in vinegars, hot sauces, and syrups made from localized ingredients. Ever since we had the opportunity to collaborate with them, I have been a fan and loyal user of their products. One of my personal favorites recently has been their Strawberry & Magnolia Syrup which serves as the main inspiration behind today's recipe.
The sweet and spicy sauce today serves as both a marinade and a glaze. The longer you let the chicken marinate, the better it will taste.
To play into the umami flavors of the dish, I added fresh grated ginger, toasted sesame to add a subtle nuttiness, green onions, and lots of garlic.
If you can handle the heat, use hot sesame oil. You're only going to need this one sauce which will give you a wonderful gravy in the end with the chicken juice once baked. So as impressive as this recipe might seem, it's perfect for weeknights just as much as it is for weekends.
Serve with your favorite vegetables, rice, and/or nori rolls like we did 😉
Sweet & Spicy Sesame Chicken
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 (5 lb) chicken, quartered
For the Sweet & Spicy Marinade:
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Lindera Farms Strawberry & Magnolia Syrup (sub with 2 tablespoons golden honey and 1 tablespoon strawberry jam)
- 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or mirin
- 2 tablespoons (hot or regular) sesame oil
- 1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons fresh chili paste
- 3 tablespoons green onion, chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the sweet and spicy marinade. Pour over the chicken quarters, cover and leave to marinade for 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the marinated chicken between the two trays and brush each piece with the remaining marinade in the bowl.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until your thermometer registers at 175 degrees F. and the chicken is golden.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Asian
DAVID J MYERS says
Catherine, Love this recipe for sweet and spicy chicken! Its a nice cross over recipe that will make my wife happy (sweet) and me as well (spicy). Also, dark meat is her thing! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Catherine Pappas says
Dear Dave, Hope all is well. It is a nice recipe and it will please the sweet and the spicy. I hope that you and Laurie enjoy this if you give it a try. All my very best to you and Laurie.
Heather Johnson says
so delicious and so much fresher than the normal "sesame" chicken - omg - love it!
Catherine Pappas says
Thank you Heather for your kind words. I hope that you enjoy this if you give it a try. Thank you always for visiting. xo
Tavo says
I loved this recipe! Made the night Sunday night meal!
Catherine Pappas says
Dear Tavo, Thank you for trying this recipe and letting me know that you enjoyed it. It makes everything worthwhile and gives me energy to keep cooking!! xo
Kris says
This was a real winner with my family! Will definitely make again. 🙂
Catherine Pappas says
Dear Kris, Thank you for trying this recipe and letting me know that you and your family enjoyed it. It makes me so very happy to know!! Thank you always for visiting. xo
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a hit all around the table! Was perfect for busy weeknights; easily, a new family favorite meal!
Catherine Pappas says
Thank you Sara for trying this recipe and taking the time to let me know that you enjoyed it. It makes me so very happy to know that you liked it. Thank you always for visiting. xo
Michelle says
Love the sweet and spicy combo here! It's addictive!
Catherine Pappas says
Yes, Michelle, I love sweet and spicy too! It is my favorite it makes everything taste better. Thank you always for visiting. xo
Annabel Beales says
This sounds delicious!!!!
I shall be giving this one a go for sure!
Catherine Pappas says
Thank you Allabel, I hope that you enjoy this recipe if you give it a try. xo
Heather says
This sounds really good, I like the idea of sesame seeds. I may try to adapt this for my air fryer!
Catherine Pappas says
OH, that sounds good. Please let me know how it came out if you do try this with the air fryer. Thank you always for visiting Heather. xo
Indrani says
These recipes are super helpful. I am glad I have something new to try out this weekend. The picture look super tempting.
Catherine Pappas says
Thank you Indrani. I hope that you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try. Thank you always for visiting.
Landscape Mosaics says
omg that recipe looks delicious! I love adding sesame to the chicken, so good!
Catherine Pappas says
Thank you for your kind words and for visiting.
Tiffany S says
Never considered sesame, but this definitely sounds like a must try. I'd just tweak it by using skinless chicken breasts.
Catherine Pappas says
Thank you Tiffany for visiting. That is exactly what one should do with a recipe, make it your own. I am sure it will work well with the skinless chicken breasts. xo
Risa Lopez says
This dish looks so good. I would love to try it because my niece loves chicken. Thanks for sharing.
Catherine Pappas says
Dear Risa, Thank you for your kind words and for visiting. I hope that you enjoy this recipe if you give it a try. xo
SoniaChic95 says
Yummy that chicken wings making my mouth so watering,rice will do thank you!
Catherine Pappas says
Thank you for visiting Sonia and for your kind words.
Yeah Lifestyle says
The flavours of this recipe sounds super delicious and I know my kids would love this. I hope to get my hands on Lindera Farms syrup
Catherine Pappas says
Thank you for visiting and for your kind words. I hope that you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try. ox