Thai-Style Grilled Chicken
with grilled eggplant and peppers / cauliflower rice
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.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower - 1 lb , florets
- Butter - 1 Tbsp
- Bell peppers, red - 2
- Eggplants, preferably Chinese or Japanese - 1 lb (sub Italian eggplants)
- Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
- Garlic - 4 cloves , grated or chopped
- Lemongrass (opt) - 4 stalks , grated or chopped
- Cilantro - 1/2 cup , chopped
- Bragg's / coconut aminos - 4 Tbsp
- Fish sauce - 4 Tbsp
- Oil, cooking - 4 Tbsp
- Honey - 2 tsp
- Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless - 3 lbs (enough for 2 nights)
- Limes - 1 , wedges
- Chili garlic sauce - 2 Tbsp , for serving (sub Sriracha or hot sauce of choice)
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, aminos, fish sauce, cooking oil (portion for the chicken), and honey. (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)
-
Cauliflower rice - (Double if making Wednesday's meal.) Pulse florets in a food processor until broken up into ‘rice’-sized bits. Cook rice in one of two ways: 1) Microwave for 4 to 5 minutes and then fold in butter. Season with some salt and pepper; or 2) Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add butter. Saute cauliflower in heated butter for ~5 minutes, until tender but still crunchy. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Watch this video for the full how-to on cauliflower rice. (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.
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
Try for freeLearn More
Make
-
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 cauliflower rice was made ahead, reheat in the microwave. (Reserve half if doubled.)
-
Serve chicken and vegetables over cauliflower rice with chili garlic sauce for 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, aminos, fish sauce, cooking oil (portion for the chicken), and honey. (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)
-
Cauliflower rice - (Double if making Wednesday's meal.) Pulse florets in a food processor until broken up into ‘rice’-sized bits. Cook rice in one of two ways: 1) Microwave for 4 to 5 minutes and then fold in butter. Season with some salt and pepper; or 2) Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add butter. Saute cauliflower in heated butter for ~5 minutes, until tender but still crunchy. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Watch this video for the full how-to on cauliflower rice. (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.
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
Try for freeLearn More
Make
-
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 cauliflower rice was made ahead, reheat in the microwave. (Reserve half if doubled.)
-
Serve chicken and vegetables over cauliflower rice with chili garlic sauce for 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.)
Reviews
Ratings
0 reviews