Hoisin Lime Chicken

Golden brown chicken, basking in a salty and sweet hoisin-based sauce. Fresh lime and sriracha sauce add a burst of tangy heat, and the dish makes it to the table in 20 minutes (or less!).

About the hoisin sauce: Hoisin sauce is thick Asian sauce made of fermented soybean paste, garlic, chilies, and other seasonings. It's salty and sweet, and adds incredible richness to a variety of dishes.  In fact, you need little else to create an entire dish. In this recipe, I added a few extra ingredients to bring out the qualities of the hoisin - sherry for sweetness, lime for tartness and sriracha for heat (hoisin is mild).

About the sherry: I add just enough sherry to bring out the sweetness of the hoisin sauce, but it's totally optional. The alcohol cooks off (that's why I add it first and cook for 1 minute), but if you want an alcohol-free version, leave it out and add a little more broth.

About the sriracha sauce: I used traditional sriracha sauce for heat, and you can use mild or hot. That said, if you already have chili garlic sauce in the fridge and don't want to run to the store, use that instead!

Serving suggestion: I served the chicken and sauce over rice because that sauce is incredible. You'll be licking up every drop. I suggest you add some sort of starch - white or brown rice, rice noodles, couscous, and quinoa all make great choices.

Hoisin Lime Chicken

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, stirring frequently. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the sherry and cook for 1 minute. Add the hoisin sauce, broth (or water), lime juice, and sriracha sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens.

Serves 4