Easy tomato chicken recipe
Chicken braised in soy sauce and tomatoes. Credit: Marge Perry
Although you may not think of them together, soy sauce and tomatoes are an extraordinarily good combination: the earthy saltiness of the soy sauce and bright acidity of tomato balance each other out beautifully. In this dish, the combination is enhanced with garlic, ginger and mustard, and the sauce gets rich silkiness with a little butter. (The dish is good even without the butter, but butter does take it to the next level.) You needn’t love the dish for its wonderful flavors alone: appreciate how simple it is to throw together, too.
The dish can be made with all thighs or all breasts if you prefer: adjust your cooking time accordingly and use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to perfection. Breasts should come out of the oven when they reach 160 to 165 degrees and thighs at 170-175 degrees. (When they cook together, as below, take the temperature of the thickest piece, which will be a breast: when the breast hits 160, the thighs, which are smaller, will be around 170, which is perfect)
Easy Soy and Tomato Braised Chicken
3 cups cherry tomatoes, divided
½ cup parsley, chopped, plus 8 leaves
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons (about 2 inches) fresh ginger, finely minced
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 whole chicken (about 5 pounds) cut into 8 pieces (plus wings)
2 tablespoons butter, cut in bits
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a 9 x 11 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Coarsely chop one cup of the tomatoes and combine in a small bowl with the chopped parsley.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mustard, rice vinegar and honey, stirring until the honey is dissolved.
4. Place a whole parsley leaf flat on the meat under the skin of each piece of chicken, if desired. Place the chicken skin side up in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the chopped tomatoes and parsley, and place the whole tomatoes on and tucked between the chicken. Pour the sauce in the pan and dot the chicken with butter.
5. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the thickest piece registers 160 to 165 degrees, about 50-55 minutes.
MAKES 4-6 SERVINGS
