15-Minute Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

October 17, 2014

15-Minute Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken



Who doesn’t love burpees?
Raise your hands up where I can see them.
Oh, wow, that many of you? Really?
Burpees are C-O-O-L! I don’t know why they get such a bad rep.

Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken Sauce



If you haven’t realized it yet, I love burpees.
I know they’re kind of a nightmare, but that’s the whole point of burpees. They're supposed to feel awful. If they were easy, everyone would do them.
But this full-body conditioning exercise gets you into shape fast, can be performed with very little space and with nothing other than your bodyweight.
You can do it anywhere: whether you’re at home, at the gym, or in a hotel room when you’re on the road; and you don’t need any equipment.
Burpees are a great test of coordination and agility, whilst burning a load of calories. They develop strength, explosive power, and anaerobic endurance.
In other words, they’re totally a win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win exercise.

15-Minute Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken


Burpees are proof that your own natural bodyweight provides plenty of resistance.
Throw in some push-ups, pull-ups, dips, planks, crunches, squats and sprints and you’ve got a kick-ass workout, where you're using your weight for resistance and muscle strengthening.

15-Minute Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken


In fact, all of my workouts are bodyweight exercises.
Running, biking, swimming and yoga are all considered body weight exercises.
I like them because it's you against your own body & will.
In a way, bodyweight exercises develop a strong, balanced body that can perform under any circumstance.
If you can run, jump, swim, do handstands, etc. you can push your body far beyond what you believe are your limitations.
Not to mention that cavemen didn’t have weights, neither did the Spartans, neither did the Gladiators, neither did the Samurais, nor the Shaolin fighter monks.
And these a few of the dopest and strongest groups of fighters in the history of mankind. Something to think about.

15-Minute Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken



After a kick-ass workout - especially if you’ve done a LOT of burpees - you do deserve to be good to yourself.
You also want to make sure you're getting the most out of your workout by replenishing yourself correctly. And taste is no small factor.
That’s where this 15-Minute Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken comes into play.
Cooking this chicken takes surprisingly little time. There's no marinating or anything — by the time your oil is heated, you're ready to cook the chicken.
One pan, 15 minutes and voila’.
It's packed with umami goodness, and lots of pepper. Juicy, caramelized and so irresistible!
Perfect after a hard workout!

15-Minute Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

15-Minute Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken                                         Print this recipe!
Adapted from Food&Wine

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 lb / 453 gr skinless, boneless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup / 2.3 oz / 60 gr raw coconut palm sugar (or honey)
4 tablespoons fish sauce (I used Red Boat)
4 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper (or ½ teaspoon finely ground pepper)
2 dried red chiles, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot (or small onion), thinly sliced
Handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the coconut sugar, fish sauce, water, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper and chiles and mix until the sugar dissolves.
Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute’ until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the chicken pieces and fish sauce mixture and simmer over high heat until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens and caramelizes, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the cilantro and serve.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 337 calories, 19 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbs and 21 grams of protein.

51 comments:

  1. You like burpees? I don't know if I can visit your blog anymore - those things are EVIL. But, I won't argue with you on their effectiveness...that, they are amazing for.
    And this chicken? I can't confirm or deny that I am doing burpees during my workout today (I'm not) But I can confirm this will be eaten. Pinned!

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    Replies
    1. Burpees are evil indeed but they're for the greater good, right?

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  2. MOUTHWATERING! Even at 7 in the morning, I'm thinking I would definitely go for a great big bowl of that!

    Not sure about those burpees, though. Bench press is what's on the menu for me today. I think I'll stick with that, if that's alright with you.

    And hey, maybe cavemen and Spartans and gladiators didn't have access to fancy barbells and bumpers, but I'm sure they still lifted some very heavy shit, like huge logs and rocks. You should try it sometime, it's pretty fun and addictive, you know! ;)

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    Replies
    1. I've tried it already. It was fun indeed but I definitely prefer bodyweight workouts; what can I say...that's just me!

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  3. I definitely do not love burpees, actually right now I do not love any exercise as it is my time off, and I am enjoying every second! Thanks for this recipe, love that it is quick, and it sounds delicious!

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    1. Time off is important Tina, do enjoy it as much as you can! :)

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  4. I'm gonna try this tonight for dinner, I already have all the ingredients!

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  5. A conversation with my trainer-
    Me: I do not like burpees.
    Trainer: Show me someone who does and I'll show you a liar.

    I do them any way because they are good for you.

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    Replies
    1. I am no liar, I do like burpees, I swear it. But then again, I like painful workouts so I might be the exception to the rule!

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  6. Ha, awhile back I had to look up what a burpee was when another blogger posted about hating them. Who knew? LOL Not exactly what this veteran mom thought they were. Anywho, cannot wait to try this recipe. I am sure you hit it out of the ballpark again!

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    1. So now that you know what they are, do you like 'em?

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  7. This looks delicious and sounds amazing. Your photography is fantastic too - very nice!

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  8. Burpees were my nemesis - in simple, caveman terms: burpees=YUCK! and this chicken-with-honey/ginger/and all-forms-of-gloriousness=YUM!
    Have you tried the 100 burpee challenge? BLECH! Recently though I started doing burpees with 10lb weights and I think I found my burpee zen!

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  9. Making this over the weekend, love this Mike!

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  10. God I hate burpees, but somehow you've convinced me that I need to add them to my workout routine. Maybe they'll help me run up all the hills around here faster! So when I'm done with all these burpees I'm gonna need a big bowl of this caramelized black pepper chicken, it looks awesome!

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    Replies
    1. IMO burpees help dramatically with running. In that they strengthen legs and core.

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  11. Love the burpees! They helped me get back in shape after my second kid, so they have a place in my heart!...and yum to this chicken! I love tons of black pepper on everything! :-)

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  12. Mike, I have to give you props for making me want to do burpees and getting me hungry simultaneously. Well done.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Bianca, that was my masterplan. I'm happy it worked! ;)

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  13. Mike, I am addicted to P90X workouts, and P90X3 (Tony Horton's latest) has some KILLER burpees - they couple the regular burpee with a jump-knee=tuck at the end. Very very VERY challenging.

    I think push-ups, pull-ups, burpees, all these types of exercises that require only your body against gravity are amazing - no excuses, no need for equipment, nothing. Appropriate shoes, and you are all set

    This caramelized chicken seems perfect for a post-workout meal - although I would add a little carb with it, not too much, one of your great cauliflower concoctions would do ;-)

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    Replies
    1. You're a beast Sally. Seriously you're one tough cookie. We should workout together soon!

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  14. I'm going to have to research burpees - I've never heard of them before you mentioned them. While I do that I'll be enjoying this chicken. It sounds great.

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    Replies
    1. Burpees are loads fun J, you should get on board asap!

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  15. HI Mike, love all the flavors you have going in this chicken recipe! Looks amazing!

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  16. You did NOT just admit to liking burpees....I followed a 12 week lifting plan which sporadically included burpee numbers. I made the executive decision to swap those out for star jumps. Very even trade ;)

    I love black pepper chicken and pretty sure the take out version I get is made of msg, salt and more msg. Maybe a tiny bit of chicken. Mate- you need to stop with all these epic recipes, I can't keep up.

    (don't stop).

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    Replies
    1. Swapping burpees for star jumps? That's so lame dude...sorry to say it, but I expected more from you!
      ...just kidding ;)

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  17. Looking good here Mike, love the use of two peppers, too. And as for burpees - been doing T25 workouts for a while now and the burpee, plank, push-up routine does me in every time.

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  18. I will check if I can do everything in 15 minutes :P
    Love the recipe, sure I will give it a try!

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    Replies
    1. You have to make in 15 minutes Aisha, it's mandatory!

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  19. Dude. This chicken looks straight legit. And for the record, I absolutely did NOT raise my hand. Just sayin'. #WolfpackEats

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  20. I obviously live under a rock because I don't even know what a burpee is - so I'm off to google to look it up, sounds like the perfect exercise since I'm not really into the weights scene, I prefer all body exercise any day! This dish reminds me of a dish from my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, I can't wait to make it at home now! :)

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    Replies
    1. Wait, what?
      You don't know what a burpee is? You need to get up to speed asap...

      Delete
  21. I love burpees :) well, love to hate them. Delicious-looking recipe, by the way! Thanks for sharing.

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    Replies
    1. Love to hate is the healthiest relationship you can have with burpees. Ha!

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  22. Back when I used to do rugby, I remember my whole team hating burpees, but I LOVED them. I still like them actually. But that was the first time I came across people complaining about them.
    This looks amazing by the way. I should not be looking at this at midnight..

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    Replies
    1. You did rugby? That is so awesome! You're one tough cookie. Good for you!

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  23. Not sure if I share in your enthusiasm for burpees (actually, I'm sure I don't hahaha), but this chicken sounds freaking awesome! Can I make the chicken without doing the burpees? Please? #wolfpackeats

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  24. These are so good! Every single recipe of yours comes out perfect! I relatively new to your site but am enjoying your food so much! Thanks!

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    1. Thank you Stella for letting me know. I'm so glad you're enjoying my recipes that much, it makes me super happy!

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  25. do you have any sub for fish sauce? allergies!

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  26. Oh Lord, I just finished this - it is OUTSTANDING!!!

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  27. I thought Burpee was just a seed co. They do look effective but needs strict dedication. (I do not posses that quality)
    This recipe though sounds exactly like what I was looking for.

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  28. Thoughts on making this with bay scallops?

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