Baked Sichuan Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

This recipe is my own take on this delicious style of cooking. In addition to adding garlic to the sauce and whole garlic cloves, which roast in their papery skin while the chicken bakes, I chose NAKANO Roasted Garlic Seasoned Rice Vinegar for its savory richness to amp up the garlic flavor. NAKANO Rice Vinegar is made with real rice and the finest ingredients. Each rice vinegar is brewed according to traditional practices, creating a clean flavor that is mild and mellow.

NAKANO Rice Vinegar is a staple in my pantry and I use it in all types of dishes, from marinades to high-end meals, making it the perfect, versatile flavor partner in the kitchen. Just a splash will add a light twist to your favorite dishes.

I prefer chicken thighs to the breast because they are more flavorful and do not dry out as easily. I always opt for bone-in and skin-on when buying chicken for more flavor and juiciness in the finished dish. Feel free to use whatever chicken pieces you like best in this recipe.

Brussels sprouts, onions, and whole garlic roast and caramelize with aromatic seasonings and chicken juices while the chicken cooks to create a delicious vegetable side dish all in one bake. Serve this Baked Sichuan Pepper Chicken with Brussels Sprouts over your favorite rice for a complete meal that is healthy and delicious.

Some tips…

Take the extra time to use whole spices and toast them to bring out their natural oils and fragrance for more flavor. If you don’t have an instant read thermometer yet, what are you waiting for? I highly recommend using one when cooking any kind of meat. An instant read thermometer will take the guesswork out of when poultry is cooked to a safe temperature and save you from overcooked and dry chicken.

Baked Sichuan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts is

Spicy
Garlicky
Aromatic
Caramelized
Crispy
Tender
Juicy
Delicious
Savory

Baked Sichuan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

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• Author: kaity farrell
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on (680g or 24 oz.)
• 
2 cups (252g or 8.9 oz.) Brussels sprouts
• 
1 medium sweet onion (218g or 7.7 oz.)
• 4 whole garlic cloves unpeeled (30g or 1.1 oz.)
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• Sichuan 5-Spice blend from below
• 4 scallions, chopped (57g or 2 oz.)

for Sauce


• 4 tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce (60 mL or 2 fl. oz.)
• 2 tablespoons NAKANO Roasted Garlic Seasoned Rice Vinegar (30 mL or 1 fl. oz.)
• 
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (30g or 1 oz.)
• 2 garlic cloves, grated (15g or 0.5 oz.)
• 
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (2g or 0.07 oz.)
• 2 tablespoons water (30 mL or 1 fl. oz.)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or sweetener of choice  (20g or 0.7 oz.)
• 
1/2 teaspoon red chile pepper flakes (1g or 0.04 oz.)

Sichuan 5-Spice Blend


• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (4g or 0.14 oz.)
• 
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (1g or 0.04 oz.)
• 5 whole cloves (2g or 0.07 oz.)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole star anise pod

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450˚F and get a large brasier, baking dish or a sheet pan ready.
2. Dry toast the whole spices for the Sichuan 5-Spice Blend in a small pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until they become fragrant and visibly start to toast, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer the spices to a mortar and pestle. Take out the whole cinnamon stick and stir anise pod. Crush and grind everything else with the pestle until it’s ground down to a coarse powder, about 30 seconds to 1 minute should do it.
3. Trim Brussels sprouts and cut large ones in half. Peel and cut onion into roughly 2” sized pieces.
4. Pat chicken thighs dry and trim excess fat then place them in a large bowl.
5. Add Brussels sprouts, onion pieces, whole garlic cloves, and the toasted cinnamon stick and star anise pod to the bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and Sichuan spice blend to the bowl and rub seasonings into and all over the chicken thighs.
6. 
Place chicken thighs skin side up and spaced apart in your baking dish. Tuck veggies and whole spices around the chicken thighs, making sure not to cover the top of each thigh. Wash hands.
7. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and pour it all over the chicken and veggies.
8. Place the baking dish or sheet pan into the oven on the middle rack and lower temp to 425˚F. Bake until sauce is bubbling and chicken it’s nicely browned with crispy skin and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thighs reaches 165˚F on a thermometer, about 20-30 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes uncovered before serving. 
Serve hot or warm over rice and garnish with chopped scallions.

Notes

• Leftovers will keep covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat to serve.
• Calorie Info: 
4oz serving of chicken: 341.5 calories

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This post was in collaboration with and sponsored by NAKANO Rice Vinegar. All content and opinions expressed here are my own. Read more about my sponsored post and affiliate policy here.