Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken Recipes

THAI-STYLE GRILLED CHICKEN (GAI YANG) RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine garlic, cilantro, sugar, white pepper, coriander, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, and lemongrass (if using) in the bowl of a food processor. Process until a rough paste is formed. Set aside.
• Place chicken halves flat on a cutting board. Insert 2 metal skewers into each chicken half, running parallel through legs and breasts. Transfer chicken to a baking dish that just fits them. Rub on all surfaces with marinade. Cover, transfer to refrigerator, and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• When ready to cook, light 1 chimney full of charcoal . When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.
• Place chicken, skin side up, on cooler side of grill, with legs facing toward hotter side. Cover grill, with vents on lid open and aligned over chicken. Open bottom vents of grill. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 140°F (60°C), about 45 minutes. Carefully flip chicken and place, skin side down, on hotter side of grill, with breasts pointed toward cooler side. Cover and cook until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 145 to 150°F (63 to 66°C), about 3 minutes longer. (Be careful, as the skin is very prone to burning.) If chicken threatens to burn before temperature is achieved, carefully slide to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue to cook until done. Do not leave lid off for longer than it takes to check temperature, or chicken will burn.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Carve and serve with chile dipping sauce.

CILANTRO THAI GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients above in a food processor and process until smooth.
• Pour marinade over chicken breast and let flavors sink in for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Prepare your grill or broiler.
• Cook until temperature registers 165F on the meat thermometer.
• Let the chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes before serving, this prevents the meat from drying up.

CILANTRO CHICKEN AND SPICY THAI NOODLES

Steps:

• For the chicken: Combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive bowl and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Prepare a grill pan to medium-high heat and place the chicken thighs on the pan, cooking for 4 minutes per side.
• For the noodles: In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add the canola oil. Add the ginger, lime zest and juice, garlic, red pepper flakes and chicken stock. Stir all to combine and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the curry paste, seasoned rice vinegar and scallions. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Place the noodles in a large serving bowl along with the carrots and crushed peanuts and toss well to combine. Add the cilantro chicken and serve.

CILANTRO-LIME MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine chiles, canola oil, cilantro, lime zest and juice, garlic, jalapeno, honey, salt, and pepper in a 1-gallon freezer bag and seal completely. Gently massage the bag to combine ingredients well. Add chicken and turn to completely coat with marinade. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours for best flavor, turning bag occasionally.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
• Grill chicken, covered, on the preheated grill until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
• Remove chicken from the grill and let rest under aluminum foil to redistribute juices back into the meat, 4 to 5 minutes.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH CORIANDER/CILANTRO SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix the marinade ingredients together, pour over chicken and leave it in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• While chicken is in the fridge, prepare the sauce.
• Heat vinegar, sugar in a saucepan over low heat, and stir until dissolved.
• Bring to boil and simmer until the sauce thickens, and a syrup forms.
• (this will only take a minute or two) Pour into a bowl.
• Preheat grill.
• Place chicken about 20cm/8 inches from the heat, and cook both sides until coloured.
• (about 6 minutes on the first side, 4 minutes on the second) Serve with Coriander/Cilantro Sauce and Fragrant Rice.

THAI-INSPIRED GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Whisk soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, sesame oil, ginger, Sriracha, garlic, lime juice, and lemongrass paste together in a bowl.
• Put chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag, pour marinade over chicken, and marinate for 2 hours or overnight for an even better flavor.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grate.
• Remove chicken thighs from marinade, discarding marinade.
• Grill chicken thighs until they are no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 3 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove from grill and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

THAI MUSLIM-STYLE GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Marinade
• Spatchcock chicken the Thai way by placing it breast side up on a large cutting board. Using a sharp, heavy knife and working just to the side of the center of the breast, cut down through to the breastbone (do not cut all the way through to the backbone). Now that the path has been created, use the same knife-or, easier, a sturdy pair of kitchen scissors-to make a clean cut all the way through the breastbone and anything else that is still connecting the 2 sides of the breast together. Open up chicken and turn skin side up. Press down on chicken to flatten. Pat thoroughly dry.
• Grind peppercorns in a spice mill or a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a food processor or leave in mortar and pestle and add garlic, cilantro roots, brown sugar, fish sauce, turmeric, salt, coriander, cumin, and cardamom and process or pound until smooth. Coat chicken completely in marinade, pressing to adhere and working into nooks and crannies. Place in a large bowl and cover with a plate. Let chill at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Let chicken sit at room temperature 1 hour before grilling or baking.
• Sauce
• Purée pineapple and vinegar in a food processor or blender until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and add garlic, jalapeños, granulated sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat so sauce is at a simmer and cook until thick and smooth (consistency should be similar to cocktail sauce), about 5 minutes.
• Chicken and assembly
• Grind saffron to a fine powder in a spice mill or a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small saucepan and add granulated sugar, salt, and ¼ cup water and cook over medium heat just until heated through and small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Whisk in coconut oil and remove from heat.
• If using a grill, prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off); oil grate. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on cooler part of grill. Close lid and grill, rotating chicken but keeping skin side up every 5-10 minutes, until skin looks dry and golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast and thighs registers 130°-140°, 35-40 minutes. If using charcoal and your coals are dying, start a new chimney of coals 15 minutes before this point so you are ready for the next step.
• Uncover grill and increase heat to high (add more coals for a charcoal grill). Brush one fourth of basting liquid over skin and turn chicken over, positioning over direct heat on the hot side of the grill. Grill, brushing half of remaining basting liquid over bone side of chicken, until skin is browned and lightly charred in spots, about 3 minutes. (Watch carefully as this can happen quickly.) Turn chicken over and return to cooler side of grill. Brush skin with remaining basting liquid. Cover grill and continue to grill chicken until thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160° and thickest part of thighs registers 165°, 10-15 minutes longer.
• If using an oven, place a rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°. Place chicken, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Brush one third of basting liquid over skin. Bake, rotating baking sheet every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast and thighs registers 130°-140°, 35-40 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 450°. Brush remaining basting liquid over skin and continue to bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until skin is crisp and charred and thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160° and thickest part of thighs registers 165°, 10-15 minutes longer.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest at least 15 minutes. Carve up further as desired.
• Top dipping sauce with cilantro. Serve chicken with rice and dipping sauce alongside.
• Cook's Note
• If you cook the chicken in the oven, using the dhungar method to perfume the finished chicken with the scent of smoky ghee is highly recommended.