Chicken Loves Big Flavors

Thai-Style Chicken with Basil, Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken Thighs), Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) [START FREE TRIAL]( or [LOG IN]( [FIND RECIPES ›]( January 15, 2021 What’s New at ATK How Food Shaped One Family’s Pursuit of the American Dream More than four decades after immigrating from Korea, three siblings’ memories of adjusting to their new lives in America involve food. [Read more]( Reviewing Reusable Produce Bags The waste from flimsy single-use plastic produce bags can add up quickly. We explore a convenient, sustainable alternative with a variety of uses. [Find out more →]( A Note From Our Test Cooks Chicken Loves Big Flavors From Jack Bishop, Chief Creative Officer Chicken sometimes gets a bad rap for being boring, but that’s unfair. It’s more like a blank canvas, and the artist (aka the cook) has free rein. For me, cooking chicken presents a chance to bring out really big flavors. In my house, [Thai-Style Chicken with Basil]( is in the regular dinner rotation. Chiles, fish sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, several cups of fresh basil—there are no shy flavors in this dish. Serve this saucy 30-minute recipe with plenty of rice (preferably jasmine). As I write this, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are defrosting in my refrigerator for tonight’s [Chicken Piccata](. I crave citrus in the dead of winter, and this Italian classic features thinly sliced lemons in a lemony sauce with briny, salty hits from delicious capers. When I want a treat, I make [Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)](. I love this recipe because it calls for boneless, skinless thighs, so the chicken cooks quickly. But it’s the potent flavors in the marinade—ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sake—that make this fried chicken so satisfying. And I adore the squirt of lemon that balances the richness of the craggy coating. Finally, for cold winter nights, there’s nothing like a saucy, stewy chicken dish, and one of my favorites is [Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)](. It’s more “spiced” than “spicy,” with garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a creamy tomato sauce. The chicken is charred under the broiler before being cut into chunks and stirred into the sauce. I like to serve it with warm naan and/or basmati rice. FREE FOR TWO DAYS Thai-Style Chicken with Basil Stir-frying at a low temperature allows us to cook the aromatics and basil from the beginning, so they infuse the cooking oils with their flavors. Grinding the chicken in a [food processor]( along with some fish sauce gives us coarse-textured meat that retains moisture during cooking. A combination of oyster sauce and white vinegar adds rich but bright flavor to our take on gai pad krapow. [view recipe]( FREE FOR TWO DAYS Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken Thighs) Juicy, deeply seasoned thigh meat encased in a supercrispy crust makes karaage a fried chicken lover’s dream. Briefly marinating the meat in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, ginger, and garlic (seasoned with a little salt and sugar) imbues the chicken with deeply savory, aromatic flavor. [view recipe]( FREE FOR TWO DAYS Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) We start by softening lots of onion, garlic, ginger, and chile in butter followed by aromatic spices such as garam masala, coriander, cumin, and black pepper. Instead of chopped or crushed tomatoes, we opt for a hefty portion of tomato paste, which lends the sauce bright acidity, punch, and deep color without making it too liquid-y. [view recipe]( Discover 500+ foolproof chicken recipes for every occasion, taste, dish type, and cooking method. [The Chicken Bible. Save 50%. Exclusive Shop Price: $19.99. Cover Price: $40.00. 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It has uniform, steady heating and good visibility inside, and its cup-shaped, stay-cool handle is easy to grip. [Learn More →]( FROM OUR ONLINE COOKING SCHOOL Gauging Doneness of Chicken Not sure if your chicken is done? Here’s how to take the temperature of different parts of the chicken, and what temperature they should reach. [view course]( Try Another Newsletter America’s Test Kitchen Kids Editor in Chief Molly Birnbaum shares delicious recipes and stories that matter to young chefs and their families. [Sign up now →]( Dinner Tonight We share quicker, easier, fresher weeknight recipes, all with 10 or fewer ingredients and 30–45 minutes of prep time. 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