It’s funny but the older I get, the more I love ginger. I love the freshness I love the warmth. I love how it makes my tastebuds glow.
And while it is wonderful added at the beginning of cooking so the ginger flavour mellows an permeates the whole dish, I secretly prefer raw ginger in all its magnificence added at the end.
This sauce is the perfect showcase for all things ginger. Especially if you do as I suggest and add the ginger in little flavour explosion chunks.
This looks like a lot of ingredients but the oil and water don’t count in my 6 😉
Spiced Chicken with Ginger Almond Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon. neutral flavoured oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 450 g chicken thigh fillets
- 2 bunches asparagus or green beans approx 400g / 14oz
- 2 heaped tablespoons fresh ginger finely diced 20g / 1oz
- 100 g almond meal (almond flour) or whole cashews
- 75 g water
Instructions
- Turn your oven to 250C (480F). Mix all spice, oil and only 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Slice each chicken fillet into 2 and toss in the marinade. If you have time leave to stand for 15 minutes or so. But no dramas if not.
- Trim asparagus by snapping off and discarding the bottom inch of the stems. Line a sheet pan or large rimmed baking tray with baking paper. Arrange asparagus and chicken on the tray In a single layer (the chicken will take longer to cook if it’s not touching then tray).
- Place the tray in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking place almond meal (almond flour) or cashews, water, the extra tablespoon apple cider vinegar and a pinch salt in a jug or wide mouthed glass jar. Blitz with a stick blender until you have a smooth creamy sauce like mayonnaise. Taste and add more salt or vinegar if needed. Stir in the ginger.
- When the chicken timer goes. Check the chicken with a meat thermometer. It should read 73C ((163F) or higher. Or cut in and have a peek to make sure it’s no longer pink. If it’s not done put back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
- To serve, divide chicken and veg between 2 warm plates. Top each with the sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Variations & Substitutions
Keto / ultra low carb – don’t use cashews!
herby – serve with flat leaf parsley, coriander (cilantro), basil or mint leaves (like I did in the photo).
vegetarian – replace chicken with chickpeas or eggs (roast asparagus for 10 mins then crack eggs into the tray and roast for 5 mins or until the whites are set).
nut-free – make a ginger butter by mashing the chopped ginger into 80g (3oz) soft butter with 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. Or stir the ginger into 4 tablespoons mayonnaise.
nut-free – stir ginger into 1 cup hummus, Greek yoghurt or sour cream instead of making the almond sauce.
more substantial (carb lovers) – steamed rice or warm pita bread.
more substantial (low carb) – serve with avocado or roast almonds, cashews, walnuts or macadamias.
Low FODMAP – skip asparagus and serve with baby spinach leaves. Replace almond meal or cashews with macadamias.
different vegetables – green beans, sliced zucchini, kale, thinly sliced onion, sliced cabbage or bell peppers (capsicum) can all be substitute for the asparagus. Things like cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato or mushrooms can be used but you’ll need to cook them for longer. Or just roast the chicken and serve with salad leaves or on a bed of steamed greens.
different protein – fish fillets, bone in chicken thighs , chicken drumsticks, chicken wings, sausages, chicken marylands, duck legs. Just adjust cooking time as needed.
more fancy / for entertaining – serve with roast sliced almonds or pine nuts sprinkled over. And a nice side salad like Best Ever Tabbouleh or Lime & Tahini Kale Salad.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
allspice / oil / apple cider vinegar / almond meal (almond flour) – keep them in the pantry.
chicken thigh fillets – freeze them.
asparagus / green beans – can be frozen but best to use for another meal.
ginger – freeze it.
Problem Solving Guide
bland – more salt! More ginger or a squeeze of lemon or lime. Next time use chicken from a different supplier.
too dry – overcooked chicken. Next time get it out earlier or use a lower oven temp. For now a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil will help.
no oven – pan fry chicken and asparagus separately until each is cooked. Serve with the sauce.
Prepare Ahead
You can but I prefer the chicken when freshly cooked. The sauce can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated or frozen – just allow to come to room temp before serving. Leftover chicken and veg will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen. Serve cold or allow to come to room temp.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
Hi Jules! Could I use Chinese 5-spice powder in place of the allspice?
Absolutely Kathryn! That would be an excellent substitute
I made this last night and it was simple and yummy. I used peppers since I had them. And I used the cashews. Today I listened to your podcast and you mentioned the base of this sauce but with adobe chiles (I think it was) instead of ginger. It helped me realize the base can be spiced up in tons of ways. Thanks!
ooh you HAVE to make the chipotle version Laura – it’s soo good!
And yes the possibilities are endless.
You found a way to make chicken interesting. The allspice plus ginger was outstanding. I’ll bet this would be good on the grill too.
Glad yo u enjoyed it Joan! Allspice is my new favourite spice – it’s amazingly versatile.
Ohhh, Jules, I seem to not be able to get a hold of allspice here 🙁 how can I replace it? Thanks!
Id’ just use my go-to mix of equal parts cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. OR just use any one of those. A mild curry powder or garam masala would be good too.
Allspice is pretty strong so if you’re using the other spices you might like to increase the amount of spice a little.
Thank you for yet another recipe that will encourage me to eat chicken. I’ve eaten so much of it over the years that I feel a strong dislike for chicken. I will be trying this one.
Excellent Susan! The great thing about chicken is it’s a good vehicle for other flavours
I was somewhat disappointed in this recipe. It tasted okay but for us was nothing special. I could only get chicken tenders at the grocery when I shopped this week, so I used them. I cut them and the asparagus into bite-sized pieces to make eating easier. I’m really glad you mentioned what the consistency of the sauce should be, because I ended up needing to add more water to get it beyond stiff. I also used only half the amount of ginger called for because neither of us is a fan of really strong flavors (especially my husband with ginger…) and blended the ginger into the sauce. I think that blending the ginger in made it better for our tastes.
Good to know Susan – this is really a dish driven by the strong ginger so not surprising that you found it only okay 🙂