Vietnamese High-Impact Chicken Thighs

Name: Vietnamese High-Impact Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 28 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 4 lbs 4 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (1814 g); 6 tbsp 6 tbsp fish sauce (90 ml); 2 tbsp 2 tbsp low-sodium tamari (30 ml); 2 tbsp 2 tbsp rice vinegar (30 ml); Juice of Juice of 2 limes (~60 ml); 1 tbsp 1 tbsp honey (21 g); 6 cloves 6 cloves garlic; 2 medium 2 medium shallots; 2 tbsp 2 tbsp chopped lemongrass, white part only; 2 tsp 2 tsp fresh ginger; 1 tsp 1 tsp MSG; 1 tsp 1 tsp five-spice powder; 2 tsp 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper; 1 tsp 1 tsp chili flakes; 1-2 tsp 1-2 tsp neutral oil for searing

Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with blender marinade (fish sauce, lemongrass, five-spice), pan-seared and convection finished. Protein-forward with crisp skin and deep umami.

VietnameseServes 628hentree

Servings6

Ingredients

4 lbs 4 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (1814 g)

6 tbsp 6 tbsp fish sauce (90 ml)

2 tbsp 2 tbsp low-sodium tamari (30 ml)

2 tbsp 2 tbsp rice vinegar (30 ml)

Juice of Juice of 2 limes (~60 ml)

1 tbsp 1 tbsp honey (21 g)

6 cloves 6 cloves garlic

2 medium 2 medium shallots

2 tbsp 2 tbsp chopped lemongrass, white part only

2 tsp 2 tsp fresh ginger

1 tsp 1 tsp MSG

1 tsp 1 tsp five-spice powder

2 tsp 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 tsp 1 tsp chili flakes

1-2 tsp 1-2 tsp neutral oil for searing

Method

Blender Marinade

1
Add all marinade ingredients (fish sauce, tamari, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, ginger, MSG, five-spice, black pepper, chili flakes) to blender. Blend 30–45 seconds until smooth. Do not over-aerate.

Marinate

1
Loosen skin from meat with fingers. Rub marinade under skin and on meat side. Lightly wipe excess from outer skin.
2
Refrigerate 4–24 hours.

Air-Dry

1
Remove thighs from marinade. Pat skin completely dry. Place uncovered on rack in fridge 4–12 hours.

Sear

1
Heavy skillet (cast iron ideal) over medium heat with 1–2 tsp neutral oil. Place thighs skin-side down. Do not move for 6–8 minutes.
2
Flip and cook 2–3 minutes. Pour off excess rendered fat (leave thin film).

Oven Finish

1
Transfer to oven at 400°F convection (actual ~375°F). Cook 20–25 minutes until internal temp reaches 180–185°F.
2
Optional: broil 1–2 minutes if skin needs more crisp. Watch carefully.

Serve

1
Finish with fresh lime squeeze and herbs (mint, cilantro, or Thai basil). Serve one thigh with reduced drippings. No glaze needed.

Nutritionper serving · 1 thigh (~270 g raw, bone-in)

310kcal

28gProtein

3gCarbs

20gFat

850mgSodium

Nutrition estimate based on USDA data for bone-in skin-on chicken thigh (cooked, skin eaten), with marinade ingredients distributed across ~6 thighs. Fat accounts for skin rendered during sear — actual fat depends on how much you pour off. The marinade contributes most of the sodium (~850 mg/serving, primarily from fish sauce and tamari) and minimal carbs (~3 g from honey, shallots, and lime juice). Bone weight is excluded. For tighter MacroFactor logging, weigh individual thighs after cooking and log by weight — a cooked bone-in thigh typically yields ~60–65% edible meat+skin relative to raw weight.