Which sorts of flavors do you crave when it’s hot out? For me, it’s a tie between Central American and Southeast Asian. And we’ve been alternating the two at our house lately. Yesterday I had an intense craving for some pungent Asian flavors. But I wanted something light– not like curry, but more reminiscent of the barbecued street food you might find in Asia. I happened to have a good collection of bright, aromatic herbs on hand, so Thai Grilled Chicken with Lemongrass, Basil & Lime was just perfect for these hankerings.
Thai Grilled Chicken with Lemongrass, Basil & Lime
What You’ll Need:
- 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, cut into smaller pieces
- 4 cloves garlic
- the juice of 1 or 2 limes (some of them can be pretty dry)
- a one inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- about 1/4 cup (packed) of fresh basil, roughly chopped
- one small, seeded chile– optional if you like it spicy
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup of avocado oil (this oil has the highest smoke point of all plant-based oils, and so is most stable for grilling)
You may want to learn more about the healthiest cooking oils. - one whole chicken, cut into pieces, or six bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
What to Do:
- Make the marinade: Put all ingredients into a small food processor and blend until everything is chopped fine and blended like a salad dressing. You can also use an immersion blender, if you have the cylindrical part to use it in.
- Put the chicken in a glass container (I love these) and coat evenly with the marinade. Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour, and overnight is even better.
- You have a couple options for cooking. This is great on the grill. But in case you don’t feel like firing up the grill, I usually use a broiler pan under the broiler on its highest setting. Cook skin-side down first, and be sure to brush on any leftover marinade. I don’t usually set a timer, but prefer to gauge by the chicken’s color– I wait till it’s golden, and browning slightly, then flip the pieces. It’s done when the skin is golden and bubbly. If you prefer to go with time, then about 20 minutes on each side is a good bet.
- Remove from the heat and let rest for a few minutes before serving.This is great with a cabbage slaw and grilled veggies. We made two chickens like this last night, and will enjoy using the leftovers in Asian-inspired salads and lettuce wraps this week.
Before I go, I just want to thank you for such a great response to my cookbook release! This has been such a fun couple of days. Thank you to everyone who has downloaded so far! And just a reminder that it’s 20% off right now– for just a few more days– with the discount code HUNGRY.
Happy Eating!
