Thai Chicken Thighs

Four and a half months. Liam rolled over for the first time on Wednesday, from back to front, looked extremely surprised by the outcome, and then did it again three more times over the next hour with increasing confidence. Sean missed the first one because he was at work and I sent him a text that said "he rolled" and Sean replied with three exclamation points, which is the most punctuation Sean has ever used in a text message and which I consider a complete sentence about how he felt.

The return to work is four weeks away. I've been thinking about it in the neutral way you think about an appointment you have to keep—not dreading it, not relieved about it, just noting its presence on the timeline. My mother has confirmed she's ready to have Liam on my work days. I've done a dry run, driving the route and timing it. I know the logistics. The logistics are fine.

July is mangoes. I don't know why July always makes me think of mangoes but every July I want them, cubed over sticky rice or in a salsa or just eaten at the counter over the sink with juice running down my arms. I made mango chicken this week—marinated in lime and coconut milk, grilled on the cast iron—and it was the right meal for the middle of a hot week. Liam watched me cut the mangoes with the same focused attention he gives everything now that his tracking has improved. I gave him a small piece of the rind to chew on. He considered it for thirty seconds and then threw it on the floor, which might be a fair review.

The mango chicken I made that week started as a craving and ended up feeling like the right meal for exactly where I am right now—something bright and a little tropical, not too complicated, just confident enough to pull off on a hot Tuesday with a four-and-a-half-month-old watching from the bouncer. Thai Chicken Thighs is the recipe I keep coming back to when I want that combination of coconut milk and lime doing most of the work for me. The marinade takes five minutes, the cast iron does the rest, and somehow it always tastes like a decision I made on purpose.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min (plus 30 min marinating) | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 thighs)
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon neutral oil (for the pan)
Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

Make the marinade. Whisk together coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a bowl or zip-top bag until the sugar dissolves.
Marinate the chicken. Add chicken thighs to the marinade and turn to coat. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Pat the thighs lightly dry before cooking so they sear rather than steam.
Heat the pan. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add oil and swirl to coat.
Sear skin-side down. Place chicken thighs skin-side down and cook without moving for 7–8 minutes, until the skin is deeply golden and releases cleanly from the pan.
Flip and finish. Flip thighs and reduce heat to medium. Cook an additional 12–15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted at the thickest part reads 165°F.
Rest and serve. Transfer to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedges over jasmine rice or alongside sliced mango if you have one on the counter.

Nutrition (per serving)

Thai Chicken Thighs — The Meal July Keeps Asking For