Though I’m mostly vegetarian, some days my body just has a hankering for meat. Other times, I want nothing to do with foods that come from another animal. I like to think that my body knows best and I try to follow its intuitive desires. When I do have a carnivorous craving, it’s usually chicken. I know I can get a satisfying and healthy meal from the poultry section at my local grocery store, where I can get clean chicken (both in quality and animal welfare which are really important to me) pretty easily. Don’t be afraid to ask your local butcher how the chicken was raised and if it’s organic and hormone-free.

I like to purchase a whole chicken and then ask the butcher to break it down for me into 10 pieces. This not only saves money, but also makes cooking an entire chicken a lot faster. I keep the backbone in the freezer until I am ready to make chicken stock.

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it calls for marinating the chicken in the most delicious mixture of garlic, ginger, honey, and tamari (or soy sauce) for about an hour before cooking. Despite the hour prep, the recipe itself is really quick—only 30 minutes of real cooking time with minimal need for hands-on work, making it perfect for a weeknight homemade meal. You could even whip up the marinade ahead of time (maybe that morning) to cut back on prep time that night, making the toss-in-the-oven process even faster. Serve the chicken with sautéed greens, like bok choy or broccolini, for a hearty and healthy meal.

Photos by Amanda Frederickson

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 whole chicken about 3 to 4 lbs, cut into 10 pieces

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger and honey. Mix well.

  2. Place half of soy mixture into a sealable plastic bag. Add chicken pieces to the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

  3. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

  4. Remove chicken from marinade and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Discard marinade and roast chicken for 25 to 30 minutes.

  5. While the chicken is roasting place the remaining soy sauce mixture in a small saucepot. Over medium heat cook until reduced by half, about 3 to 5 minutes.

  6. Brush the reduced soy sauce mixture over cooked chicken and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories
471
Total Fat
24g
Saturated Fat
7g
Cholesterol
134mg
Sodium
4151mg
Carbohydrates
13g
Dietary Fiber
1g
Sugars
9g
Protein
50g
YIELD:

Serves 4