Asian Lime and Hoisin Marinated Chicken (EXTRA Fragrant!)

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This super easy-to-make Asian-style chicken truly is a splash of flavors. The chicken is marinated in a fresh lime and hoisin marinade, cooked with mushrooms, green capsicums, and onions and served with sesame seeds and a kick of mint.

Did you want flavors? This dish is my current FAVOURITE dinner, it is packed with amazing flavors! A moist and tender chicken marinated and cooked in a sauce made of lime, soy sauce and hoisin combined with mint and sesame seeds. Make it once, you’ll want it every week!

Having some lime and a huge bottle of hoisin sauce only half used sitting in the fridge, Alex created this dish a few months ago. I instantly fell in love with it! Since then we modified a little our first version to make it perfect. The lime, mint and chili oil really give this terrific kick of flavors to accompany the chicken thighs.

We love eating all sorts of cuisines of the world, but Asian in general is our little weakness. After living over 10 years in Australia where Asian cuisines are very much present, Alex enjoys creating some Chinese-style dishes every now and then.

The great thing is that this type of marinated meal is always so easy to put together. Aside from marinating time, it is ready in a flash. Put it in your fridge and wait for the meat to soak up all these incredible flavors.

What are the main ingredients to prepare lime and hoisin marinated chicken?

• Capsicum – capsicum brings some crunch to the dish, we particularly enjoy green capsicums which are not as sweet as the yellow and red ones. This dish is meant to be predominantly savory, rather than sweet.
• Mushrooms – mushrooms are great in this dish as they soak up the flavors of the marinade quite easily.
• Boneless chicken thighs – I don’t recommend you use chicken breast, which would be too dry for this dish. Use some boneless chicken thighs, you’ll get some nice and moist chicken bits.
• Rice – I’m using short-grain rice because this is what I have most of the time at home but any rice would be great.
• Water – water allows liquefying the hoisin sauce a bit.
• Sesame seeds – sesame seeds add a nice visual touch for garnishing (optional)
• Mint – this is optional but try sprinkling mint on top of the chicken, the kick it gives will make your dish go from amazingly tasty to really amazingly tasty : )

Marinade:

• Soy sauce – use a light soy sauce, dark soy sauce will make your marinade way too salty.
• Hoisin sauce – hoisin sauce is one of the main marinade ingredients starring in this recipe, it brings this savory and slightly bitter taste to the dish.
• Sesame oil – ah, sesame oil! I always have a bottle in my kitchen and it always goes great in Asian marinade. Can’t do without it : )
• Brown sugar – brown sugar helps to tame the bitterness of the hoisin sauce and creates the perfect balance.
• Rice vinegar – the rice vinegar adds one more extra kick to wake up the marinade.
• Chili oil – this is optional but I love adding a tiny bit of chili oil anywhere I can. Always satisfies my craving for a spicy kick.
• Ginger – chop the ginger very finely, and add it to the marinade for one extra splash of flavor. Ginger goes great with mint and hoisin sauce.
• Lime juice & zest – the lime adds this freshness to the entire dish and blends perfectly with hoisin sauce to make this dish exceptionally TASTY (did I say tasty?)

How to prepare lime and hoisin marinated chicken?

1. Chop the vegetables: onion, capsicum, and mushrooms.

2. Cut the boneless chicken thighs into small pieces.

3. Prepare the marinade: combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl.

4. Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 min (the longest it marinates the best).

5. Cook 2 cups of rice.
6. Heat up a pan on medium heat. Add cooking oil and cook the onion for 1 min.

7. Separate the chicken from its marinade sauce. Add chicken, capsicum and mushrooms to the pan and cook together with the onions for 2 min. Chicken should not be cooked all the way through at this stage.

8. Pour the leftover marinade and ¼ cup water. Toss chicken and vegetables to coat them with the marinade.

9. Let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until chicken/vegetables are cooked and the sauce has thickened.
10. Sprinkle sesame seeds and mint on top to garnish.

Did you want more chicken recipe ideas?

• Chicken Thai Red Curry
• Spicy Peanut Noodles with Chicken
• Cheese Dakgalbi – Korean Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry
• Spicy Korean Fried Chicken