Chicken is just so chicken. It can be kinda boring at times. With the weather warming up outdoors, grilling is in the air. Can you smell it? What can we do to create a mysteriously good grilled chicken dish? Let’s think about this.
Lately, I have gravitated towards flavors that are hidden and make a dish sing without you knowing precisely what it is. Yes. Things that make you go hmmm.
This one hits the nail on the head. I bring you Grilled Cilantro Chicken with an ingredient that I’ll whisper to you: Fish Sauce.
Hold on now, don’t go running to the hills all my anti-fish eating friends. If you buy a high quality sauce and you only use a tiniest bit, it adds great depth of flavor. Without anyone knowing it. Do you trust me?
Then let’s do this:
Here is the marinade, super easy. Olive oil, garlic, and cilantro, bring the freshness. While curry and cayenne the heat. Lastly ginger for her sweetness.
Chop is all up, mix it together and let your preferred pieces of chicken marinate. The longer the better, overnight is always the coolest. Pun intended.
Remove from the fridge, let them warm up a bit while you fire up that grill.
160 degrees and resting. Slice it up for the little people and dinner is served.
- 6 Chicken breasts about 6 ounces each
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (USE Thai Kitchen Premium Fish Sauce - pulleez)
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger
- 1 cup chopped cilantro (stems and all folks)
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- dash of salt and pepper
- Prepare marinade by mixing the olive oil, fish sauce, ginger, cilantro, garlic curry, cayenne and a dash of salt & pepper. Rub a generous amount of marinade over the chicken and return to bowl to marinate. Place in fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. Allow marinated chicken 20 minutes on your counter before cooking.
- Fire up the grill. Place chicken breast on hottest part of the grill to achieve some color. Then place in an indirect heat location. Make sure grill is vented. Seal lid and time without opening for 6 minutes. Insert an instant read thermometer to register 155. Remove from grill to rest. (the temp will still rise to above 160) Slice on a bias against the grain and serve with your choice of sides.
