Everyone has a dish that reminds them of home, and Mom’s Chicken is mine. Certainly I could come up with a more original name, but this is and will always be Mom’s Chicken to everyone in my family. She must have made this 3 times a week while I was growing up. Now that I have a busy family of my own, I can see why. It’s delicious (zero complaints from picky kids) and also so fast and easy, with just a handful of ingredients.

Mom’s Chicken marinates overnight, so a few minutes and the next day’s dinner is almost done. It is just perfect with about any side you can think of-from Wild Mushroom Salad to Spicy Garlic Noodles. Try it tonight and my Mom’s Chicken is going to be a family fave in your house too.

Mom’s Chicken Marinade

This chicken gets its delightful savory flavor from a very simple marinade. Just mirin, soy sauce, and garlic. That’s it! The ingredients are similar to teriyaki, but the proportions make a world of difference. This is not a sticky sweet sauced chicken. The mirin gives the marinade just enough sweetness to balance the salty soy sauce. Just measure, combine, and stir your ingredients. Did I mention it’s so easy!?

Add the chicken thighs and submerge in the marinade. I like to let them soak up that yummy marinade overnight-for one thing it means when I wake up the next day, dinner is almost done, but it also really amps up the flavor. If you’re short on time or forgot to plan ahead though, marinate the thighs for at least four hours.

I use the broiler to cook Mom’s Chicken. I like the charred, grill like edges it gives, and how quickly the chicken gets cooked through, without cranking up the grill. When broiling though, you really need to keep a close eye on it, especially if you don’t use your broiler that often and aren’t familiar with how powerful it is. Everyone’s oven varies so make sure you are taking a peak every couple of minutes. You can also grill them or use a grill pan if that’s your thing.

I always line my pan with foil to make cleanup a breeze; the marinade is sugary and gets sticky when cooked.

The thighs get cooked for about 6 minutes on each side. (I use thighs because they have a much richer, meatier flavor and they really stand up to high heat without drying out.) You can cut into one to make sure it’s cooked through, or use a meat thermometer. Don’t be alarmed by the burned sauce. The high heat and sugar in the marinade will cause some of the juices to burn but it will not affect your chicken.

Since Mom’s Chicken is marinated, you have a lot of hands-free time to make any number of side dishes. It really goes with anything: a simple green salad with Sesame Dressing, of course rice is always welcome, or my Zucchini Jam is also delicious served alongside. Mom’s Chicken is such a beautifully easy-peasy dinner that you can have it on rotation as often as I do and serve it with all your different favorite sides to mix it up.

I’m so excited to pass down this family favorite. When you try it, please let us know; we love hearing from you. Rate the recipe and comment below, and of course don’t forget to tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen.

Mom’s Chicken

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus marinating time)
• Cook Time: 20 Minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: main
• Cuisine: Japanese

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Ingredients

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• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (approximately 5-6 pieces)
• ½ cup mirin
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 large cloves garlic, smashed
• Oil spray

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Instructions

1. Combine the mirin, soy sauce, and garlic in a storage container and stir to combine. Add the chicken thighs and push down to submerge the chicken thighs.
2. Cover the chicken and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
3. Heat the broiler and set the oven shelf to the top rack. 
4. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Put the chicken on the baking sheet and spray lightly with oil.
5. Broil for 6 minutes or and then flip the chicken and cook for another 6-8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the temperature registers 165.
6. Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve immediately.

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Notes

* I love the charred, grill-like flavor from the high broiler heat. The juices from the chicken will burn up from the sugar in the marinade but the chicken should come out with just a little charred edge. However, oven temperatures differ and if you see that the chicken is getting too dark for your liking, move the shelf down so it’s further away from the heat source.

*Leftover chicken is great on top of salads, mixed into fried rice, or just eaten cold!

Keywords: weeknight meals, asian chicken, family favorite, asian marinades, easy chicken