An herb-packed marinade gives this dish the flavor of the beloved grilled chicken found all over Thailand. We last featured this meal in 2022. Smarts: This recipe includes eggplant and peppers to serve on the side, but feel free to mix it up and use your favorite vegetables. Cooking methods: This recipe includes instructions for using the grill or oven. Select your preferred method.
Eggplants, preferably Chinese or Japanese - 1 lb
(sub Italian eggplants)
Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
Thai-Style Chicken (for 2 nights):
Garlic - 4 cloves , grated or chopped
Lemongrass (opt) - 4 stalks , grated or chopped
Cilantro - 1/2 cup , chopped
Tamari - 4 Tbsp
Fish sauce - 4 Tbsp
Oil, cooking - 4 Tbsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless - 3 lbs
(enough for 2 nights)
Limes - 1 , wedges
Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, store-bought - 1/2 cup , for serving
Choose Cooking Method
Prep
Make marinade - Grate the garlic and lemongrass with a microplane (or finely chop). Finely chop cilantro leaves. Whisk together garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, Tamari, fish sauce, cooking oil (portion for the chicken), and sugar. (Note: You can also combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until evenly chopped.) (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Marinate chicken - (If prepping right before cooking, get grill heating while chicken marinates.) Combine chicken and marinade. Tenderize with a fork. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to a day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Rice - For white rice, rinse until clear. Fill a saucepan or Dutch oven (or rice cooker) with rice, water (use 2:1 ratio for water to rice), and some salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Check white rice after ~20 min; brown at ~45 min. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Bell peppers / Eggplants - Slice peppers and eggplants into strips (keep them a size that won’t fall through the grates of the grill). (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Limes - Slice into wedges.
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Preheat grill to 400F / 204C degrees, keeping one section on higher heat and another section on lower heat. Clean and brush grates with some oil.
Sear chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side and transfer to lower heat. Season it with some salt and pepper as it cooks. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C degrees, 8 to 12 minutes more.
Toss bell peppers and eggplants with oil (portion for vegetables) and some salt and pepper. Sear over direct heat until tender, moving to indirect heat if they start to blacken before they are tender.
When chicken is done cooking, remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving (reserve half for Thursday's meal).
If rice was made ahead, reheat in the microwave.
Serve chicken and vegetables over rice with Sweet Thai Chili sauce on the side for dipping or drizzling over top. Serve lime wedges on the side to squeeze over the dish. Enjoy! (If you'd like to get a head start on Thursday's meal, chop or shred the reserved chicken.)
Prep
Make marinade - Grate the garlic and lemongrass with a microplane (or finely chop). Finely chop cilantro leaves. Whisk together garlic, lemongrass, cilantro, Tamari, fish sauce, cooking oil (portion for the chicken), and sugar. (Note: You can also combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until evenly chopped.) (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Marinate chicken - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating while chicken marinates.) Combine chicken and marinade. Tenderize with a fork. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to a day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Rice - For white rice, rinse until clear. Fill a saucepan or Dutch oven (or rice cooker) with rice, water (use 2:1 ratio for water to rice), and some salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Check white rice after ~20 min; brown at ~45 min. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Bell peppers / Eggplants - Slice into cubes of a similar size. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Limes - Slice into wedges.
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Heat oven to 425F / 218C. Place one rack in the lower part of oven (for chicken) and one in the upper part (for vegetables). Brush two sheet pans with some oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Toss bell peppers and eggplants with oil (portion for vegetables) and some salt and pepper. Spread out on first sheet pan and bake on the top rack of the oven, stirring halfway through cooking, until very tender, 20 to 30 minutes (depending on size).
Next, spread chicken out on second sheet pan. Season with some salt and pepper. Bake on the lower rack of the oven until chicken is cooked through (165F / 74C), 25 to 30 minutes. Reserve half for Thursday's meal.
If rice was made ahead, reheat in the microwave.
Serve chicken and vegetables over rice with Sweet Thai Chili sauce on the side for dipping or drizzling over top. Serve lime wedges on the side to squeeze over the dish. Enjoy! (If you'd like to get a head start on Thursday's meal, chop or shred the reserved chicken.)