Description
This ginger chicken recipe is perfectly cooked and full of great flavor, then topped with the most delicious, juicy, fresh peach salsa. It’s the perfect sweet and savory recipe for summer.
Ingredients
Scale
Baked Ginger Chicken Ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness and brined in saltwater (*see easy instructions below)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (I prefer smoked paprika)
Fresh Peach Salsa Ingredients:
- 2 medium peaches, pitted and diced
- 1 jalapeño, cored and finely-chopped
- 1/2 cup finely-chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup finely-chopped red bell pepper
- 1/3 cup finely-chopped red onion
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- big pinch of ground ginger and Kosher salt
Instructions
To Make The Baked Ginger Chicken:
- *To brine your chicken breasts, simply fill a large bowl with 1 quart of warm water and 1/4 cup kosher salt. Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed. Add the chicken breasts and let them sit in the mixture to brine for 15 minutes. Or you can also also cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse them with cold water, then pat them dry with some paper towels. (Again, though, if your chicken breasts are sold pre-brined in a sodium solution, skip this step.)
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large baking dish. Brush on both sides (turning once) evenly with the melted butter or olive oil.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the ginger, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika until combined. Then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the chicken on both sides.
- Bake for 15-18** minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. If you use a cooking thermometer to measure the temperature thickest part of the breast, it should be between 160-170°F. (The FDA recommends 165°F.)
- While the chicken cooks, prepare your peach salsa (see below).
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the oven and loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes. Then serve immediately, topped with the peach salsa. (Or, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.)
To Make The Fresh Peach Salsa:
- Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Taste and season with extra ginger and salt if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
**Or, if you want the chicken to be a little bit browned and crispier on top, you can turn the broiler on high for the final 3-5 minutes and broil the chicken until it is cooked through and extra browned on top. Keep a close eye on the chicken so that it does not overcook and/or burn.
