Say hello to your new favorite summer marinade. This mixture of coconut milk, sweet honey, aromatic lemongrass, ginger and tangy lime is a flavorful marinade for juicy chicken thighs. Even better, you can simmer it down to use as a fragrant sauce to serve over the meat and buttery cilantro rice. The marinade can be made up to a week in advance; however, don’t marinate the chicken for longer than four hours, or the acid will affect its texture.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- One 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- Juice of 2 limes
- One 5-inch piece lemongrass, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- One 3-inch piece ginger, grated (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds)
- Two 10-ounce bags frozen white rice
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped, plus more for topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Whisk the coconut milk, honey, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, lemongrass, ginger, Fresno chile, 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl or liquid measuring cup. Transfer 1 cup of the marinade to a large bowl and add the remaining marinade to a small saucepan.
- Add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, bring the marinade in the saucepan to a simmer over medium heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened and reduced by half, 12 to 15 minutes. Keep the sauce warm (see Cook’s Note).
- Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and tap off any excess. Grill, untouched, until distinct grill marks form and the chicken lifts easily from the grill grates without sticking, 6 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to grill, untouched, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F, 6 to 7 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package directions, then transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cilantro, butter, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with the rice.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 672 |
| Total Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 94 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 85 mg |
| Sodium | 830 mg |
Reviews
Family and I loved this but I did have to substitute lemongrass paste but the flavors were a great combo. It was a nice change of our typical grilled chicken. Would definitely make again.
Delish. Sauce is very flavorful and chicken so tender. I increased to 8 chicken thighs with ample sauce. Omitted cilantro and substituted basil bcuz it was plentiful in my garden. Used about 1/4 cup chopped. Will definitely make this again.