Thai Barbecue Chicken
Introduction
No matter how much of this recipe we make it’s never enough. We fight over who gets to lick the blender clean and who gets the last piece of chicken. It’s that good. We first fell in love with this recipe while traveling in Thailand. Years later we rediscovered it in a Thai cookbook and made it our own. It’s now a family favourite. There’s something magical about combining the curry with the freshness of limes and the umami depth of the fish sauce. There are lots of ways of tweaking this recipe to the ingredients you have on hand. And the longer you leave it to marinate the tastier it gets.
Substitutions: We find thighs are less likely to get dry, but breasts work fine. Swap Cilantro for basil for your preference or what you have on hand. Kaffir lime leaves have a wonderful and authentic zesty flavour, but can be hard to find. Lime zest is almost as good. And you can sub in just about any curry paste.
Ingredients
2 lb chicken thighs, boneless (about 4 pieces)
Handful cilantro for garnish
For the marinade:
2 T fish sauce
4 T canned coconut milk (mix of liquid and solids)
3 T fresh basil (dry would be 2 tsp)
1 clove garlic
1 small fresh chile chopped up or 1/2 dried Thai chile (omit for mild spiciness)
4 kaffir lime leaves or the zest of one lime (about a Tablespoon)
1 T rice vinegar
2 t red curry paste
2 t sugar or xylitol
1 t ground turmeric
1 t salt
Directions
Combine all marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
Pour marinade over chicken in a bowl or ziplock bag. Stir to cover thighs completely. Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Let chicken come to room temperature while you preheat a barbecue to 400 degrees. Cook thighs for five minutes per side, or until cooked through.
Heat leftover marinade in a saucepan until it boils.
Remove chicken from barbecue and sprinkle with fresh cilantro or basil. Serve with extra marinade and/or peanut sauce for dipping.