Watch

Chile-Garlic Chicken Legs

Name: Chile-Garlic Chicken Legs
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 4 chicken legs (2 1/2 pounds total), drumsticks and thighs separated; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 3/4 cup white vinegar; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes; 1/4 cup sugar

Braise these chicken legs in a garlic-soy sauce and see how tender and moist they become.

Source: Everyday Food, October 2009

45 mins 20 mins 4

Total Time Prep Servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 chicken legs (2 1/2 pounds total), drumsticks and thighs separated
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup sugar

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate.
2. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, and sugar. Return chicken to pan, skin side up. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low; cook 15 minutes (liquid should be gently simmering; adjust heat if necessary). Uncover, raise heat to medium, and cook until sauce is reduced by half, 10 minutes.

Similar Recipes

Reviews

106

How would you rate this recipe?

106

MS12373756

1 NOV, 2014

I cooked this recipe on the stovetop and it was delicious. However, I wanted to cook it in the oven after browning the chicken and garlic. Could not figure out the oven temp to use. I googled, and stovetop vs oven temp is all over the map. Please discuss at some point. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/275810
Reply
MS10806441

1 NOV, 2014

I made the chicken with Basmati rice last night for a friend who was just released from the hospital. I plan to take the meal to her today. However, the chicken was so good, she may only get a few pieces! I used 1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 c. Bragg's liquid aminos, and I added a small chopped onion. My friend and I need to limit our sodium intake. Delicious!!! The next time I make it I plan to double the recipe for the sauce. There wasn't nearly enough to serve with the rice
Reply
alb4507441175

12 JUL, 2012

Easiest and most delicious recipe I've made in quite a while. I cut the soy sauce in half (because I ran out) but found it to be just the right amount of salty, so I will never try the full 1/2 cup! Added a dash of rice wine for flavor as well. Will try again with tofu and vegetables over rice. Beautifully sweet and spicy!
Reply
NonaNC

16 DEC, 2010

Served it with rice and salad..good meal..easy
Reply
cbau1428909

15 DEC, 2010

Very good, the chicken was tender and sweet. I will make this again.
Reply
MM3939

6 DEC, 2010

Would this work with Splenda? Somehow I don't feel like adding that much sugar to my dinner. . . .
Reply
anigetyourpan

4 DEC, 2010

This is very similar to a Filipino all time dish called Chicken Adobo. Although, instead of red-pepper flakes, we use whole pepper corns or freshly ground pepper, and we also add broken bay leaf.
Reply
trekme88

27 MAY, 2010

Interesting cooking method. This is a good way not to use the oven in the summer. Also good for those with limited cooking options, such as a camp stove.
Reply
RandyUT

26 MAY, 2010

This was a good dish with an easy, inexpensive sauce. While the fat from the dark meat, skin and bones adds a lot of flavor to the dish, it might also work well with white meat, if you want to eat a more healthy meal (I will try this next time with chicken breasts, marinating the meat in the pre-cooked sauce prior to browning). All in all, an easy, pleasant meal with a total time from prep to plate of less than 45 minutes.
Reply

I'm in the mood for:

See Recipes