This Thai inspired grilled chicken recipe is the perfect combination of sweet, spicy and tangy. The grilled chicken thighs are tender and juicy, the chicken marinade provides a sweet and sticky punch while the pickled veggies add a burst of freshness and spiciness that round out a perfect meal.
Prep the chicken marinade
While it might seem like a lot of ingredients, this recipe is super easy to make. Also, some of these ingredients are versatile enough that they could be used for other recipes and sauces.
To prepare the marinade and glaze, in a mixing bowl add sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, sriracha, rice vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, Thai seasoning paste, sesame oil and freshly squeezed lime juice. Mix it well and pour about 1/2 into another bowl for the glaze later on.
Submerge the boneless and skinless chicken thighs into the marinade. Make sure that each piece is nicely coated. Leave in the bowl and place it in the fridge for 1 hour to marinate.
How to pickle veggies
For this recipe, I used cucumbers and pre-sliced carrots. First I peeled the skin off the cucumber and sliced it in half. Next with the peeler, I sliced thin strips of cucumber.
To get started on the pickling process, first fill a mason jar with the sliced cucumbers and carrots. Next prep the brine. In a sauce pan, add rice vinegar, water, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and vinegar. Simmer until in starts to boil and pour the mixture into the mason jar. Seal shut and set aside to cool off. If you like pickled food like me, you will really enjoy this side dish. The addition of the red pepper flakes adds a great kick to the tanginess of the vinegar.
Time to grill the chicken!
Set up the grill for 375 – 400 degrees. You will need both indirect as well as direct heat set ups for this cook.
While the grill is heating up, pour the remaining half of the marinade into a saucepan and simmer on low heat until it thickens. This will be used as a sauce for the chicken.
Back to the grill. Once the grill temperature is ready, place the marinaded chicken thighs on direct heat first to get a nice char. Only a few minutes on each side before moving over to indirect heat to finish cooking or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees internal temp.
For plating, I cooked some white rice to go with the Thai inspired grilled chicken. Pour some of the sweet sauce on top of the thighs and add the pickled veggies. This dish will not disappoint. The tenderness of the chicken, sweetness of the glaze and spicy crunchiness of the pickled veggies is the perfect mouthful. Enjoy!
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Thai inspired Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2 lbs Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup Sweet chili sauce
- 1/4 cup Rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup Soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar
- 3 tbsp Fish sauce
- 3 tbsp Minced garlic
- 2 tbsp Sriracha
- 2 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Thai seasoning paste
- 1 tbsp Fresh squeezed lime juice
Pickled Veggie Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup Sliced cucumber strips
- 1/2 cup Rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/2 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Prepare the chicken marinade and glaze:
- To prepare the marinade and glaze, in a mixing bowl add sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, sriracha, rice vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, Thai paste, sesame oil and freshly squeezed lime juice
- Mix it well and pour about 1/2 into another bowl for the glaze later on.
- Submerge the chicken thighs into the marinade making sure that each piece is nicely coated.
- Leave in the bowl and set it in the fridge for 1hour or more to marinate.
Pickling of the vegetables:
- Peel the cucumber and slice in half. Next with the peeler, slice thin strips of cucumber.
- Fill a mason jar with the sliced cucumbers and carrots.
- In a saucepan, add rice vinegar, water, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and vinegar. Simmer until in starts to boil and pour the mixture into the mason jar.
- Set aside to cool off.
Grill the chicken:
- Setup the grill for 375 - 400 degrees. You will need both indirect as well as direct heat set ups for this cook.
- Place the marinaded chicken thighs on direct heat first to get a nice char on both sides.
- Next, move the chicken thighs over to the indirect heat to finish cooking until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
- While the chicken is on the grill, pour the remaining half of the marinade into a saucepan and simmer on low heat until it thickens. This will be used as the chicken glaze once the dish is served.
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