Cody's Asian Chicken Thighs With A Creamy Sesame Peanut Slaw

Welcome to Cody's Meal Prep Chicken Thigh Recipe, AKA the recipe he’s eaten 3-4 times a week for the past 2 years (I have to say—it's pretty darn good).

Brooke Eliason

May 20, 2025

∙ Paid

Welcome to Cody's Meal Prep Chicken Thigh Recipe.

My husband and I are opposites in so many ways.

Cody: likes country music; Brooke: likes oldies

Cody: fruity desserts; Brooke: chocolate

Cody: prefers getting there early; Brooke: on the dot

Cody: new school; Brooke: old school

Cody: loves the south; Brooke: loves places with trees

Cody: loves routine; Brooke: loves variety

You get the picture.

So when I tell you that Cody has been eating the same chicken thigh recipe for the past 2 years for lunch 3-4 xs/week, I am not exaggerating.

After making this every week for two years, Cody has perfected the art of baking, smoking, and grilling chicken thighs.

I’ve given plenty of eye rolls for the love he has for this recipe, but the truth is that he’s perfected the craft of delicious chicken thighs that are easy to make, juicy & tender, and pair perfectly with just about every veggie side or bowl of rice. I threw together the simplest, totally addictive creamy sesame peanut slaw to pair with Cody’s chicken. He loved it, I loved it, and I think you’ll love it too. :)

As much as I’ve teased Cody for making this recipe countless times, he’s definitely onto something.

Ease. This recipe is about as easy as it gets. Simply make the marinade, marinate the chicken for a minimum of 30 mins and up to 12 hours. Once you’re ready to cook, you can bake, smoke, or grill.
Low effort, high yield. These chicken thighs are *delicious*. The combination of soy, sesame, gochujang, and honey is a match made in heaven and so much more elevated than a regular ho-hum chicken thigh recipe. Plus, chicken thighs that are prepped and cooked the right way are unbeatable.
Chicken thighs are hard to overcook. Plus, they yield much juicier, flavorful results. Say goodbye to rubbery, dry chicken breasts.
Versatility. These chicken thighs are great as is, on a bed of rice, paired with roasted veggies, or on a bun as a sandwich. I’m pairing them with rice and a super-easy napa cabbage peanut slaw here, but truly, the sky is the limit. Additionally, I’ve included instructions for baking in your oven (good), smoking (better), or grilling (best) so you can tailor this recipe to your needs and timetable.

Top left: smoked, top right: grilled, bottom middle: baked.

A Few Tips

I love to use the frozen Dorot garlic and ginger cubes (most commonly found at Trader Joe’s) to speed up this recipe! Simply swap a garlic cube for each clove and 2 cubes for each inch of ginger. And while you’re at it, grab some of TJ’s chili onion crunch to use as a garnish for this recipe, too (my personal favorite)!
If you are using fresh ginger, peel the ginger with the edge of a spoon and freeze the ginger before grating (this makes it way easier)!
Marinate the chicken for as long as possible. Longer time sitting in the marinade = more tender, flavorful chicken.
Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking, so that it cooks more evenly.

Instant-read thermometer
Microplane zester, for grating the garlic and ginger
The greatest rice cooker of all time