Recipe Background
This Korean Chicken Bake melds savory, tangy notes in a time-saving recipe.
Back when my niece was just a toddler, my sister and I decided to tackle our first major family event: planning a surprise birthday dinner for our father. The pressure was on to create something delightful yet manageable, considering we both had work deadlines looming. I remembered a Korean chicken dish from a small café my dad loved during his time stationed abroad. With a can-do spirit, we agreed on a baked version to save us time without compromising the flavors we grew to adore.
Soy sauce and lime juice were the perfect duo to capture that savory, tangy essence. With a great sense of nostalgia, ginger and garlic filled our kitchen with a comforting aroma. We marinated the chicken right on the countertop, maximizing flavor development. Broccoli and rice completed our plan, adding a wholesome touch. Sprinkling sesame seeds as the finishing act was our nod to presentation for that professional flair.
To ensure every bite was as good as the next, we learned to let the bake rest for a smoother slice. We even froze a batch for moments when busy schedules clashed again. The evening proved more successful than we anticipated, a celebration that warmed our hearts as much as our bellies.
Ingredients
- 8 (6-ounce) chicken breast halves skinless and boneless
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 9 cloves garlic minced, divided
- 4 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cups white or brown rice cooked
- 2 (12-16-ounce) packages frozen broccoli florets
- 2 medium onions cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- sesame seeds optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish and a disposable foil pan.
- Place the chicken breast halves in a large bowl.
- Combine the soy sauce, the lime juice, the brown sugar, 5 cloves of the garlic, the ginger, the chili-garlic sauce, and the olive oil in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the marinade mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.
- Marinate the chicken at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- In another large bowl, combine the rice, the broccoli, the onions, the remaining garlic, the sesame oil, the salt, and the pepper.
- Divide the rice mixture between the prepared baking dish and the foil pan.
- Top each baking dish with 1/2 of the marinaded chicken.
- Drizzle the baking dishes with any remaining marinade.
- Cover the baking dish and the foil pan with foil and bake until the chicken cooks to 165 degrees F, about 35 minutes.
- Sprinkle each bake with the sesame seeds.
- Serve the chicken bake that was cooked in the baking dish immediately. Allow the bake cooked in the foil pan to cool and then freeze for later use.
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