#2,805: Thai Baked Chicken

I personally was so scared of this recipe because I don't love chicken if it's not grilled, or battered and fried.  I am really not a fan of baked chicken, but this recipe got such good reviews I wanted to give it a try.  Even as I was making it, I was thinking I wasn't going to like it because the chicken was too.........chicken-y.  (go ahead....give an eye roll!)  But I was pleasantly surprised that this chicken was so moist and tender.  Although I ate a little bit of it as seen above, I really enjoyed this in a quesadilla instead!  My kids loved this chicken and we even ate it two nights in a row (one as the chicken with a side dish and once as a chicken quesadilla).  I think this would also be good as a chopped up chicken filling for tacos or enchiladas. 

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or 12 boneless chicken thighs

1 tbsp oil (for skillet)

Marinade

1-1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup canned coconut milk

12 leaves fresh basil

1 large or 2 small jalapeños, seeds removed

3 cloves garlic

1/4 inch slice of fresh ginger

1-1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp packed brown sugar, or coconut palm sugar

2 limes cut into wedges, for garnish

Add marinade ingredients to food processor and purée until smooth.

Arrange chicken parts in a single layer in a large freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken, seal tightly or vacuum seal and massage the marinade into the chicken a bit. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, or simply lay it flat in the freezer and freeze for another day.

When ready to cook, thaw completely. The safest way to thaw is in the refrigerator overnight.

To bake: Preheat oven to 375F. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium to high heat. Add oil and wait until it ripples or shimmers. Add chicken pieces and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes, then place skillet in oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Cover with foil and let stand on a platter for 5-10 minutes before serving.

If you want to grill it instead: Place chicken on medium-hot well-oiled grill. Turn when chicken has grill marks (approx. 5-6 min). Cook until internal temperature is 165 degrees at the thickest part (about 7-8 minutes).

Sprinkle with more chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges.