Grilled Thai Chicken

I just love Thai cuisine!  Having had the good fortune to visit Thailand twice and experience truly authentic (and very hot and spicy) Thai food, I'm always on the look out for great recipes (and great Thai restaurants).  One of my favorite food bloggers, Sam, from My Carolina Kitchen, posted a wonderful, grill-outside-don't-heat-the-kitchen recipe for chicken that really pleases the taste buds and satisfies one's Thai food fix.  Sam is a food professional and I trust her judgement and the recipes that she develops.

I had to try her recipe for BBQ Thai Chicken and just happened to have all of the ingredients on hand . . . I love it when that happens!

The chicken marinates in a sweet and spicy coconut marinade for 4 hours.  And oh does this marinade make the chicken moist and bursting with flavor.  When you first read the ingredients you might think that this is going to be spicy-hot.  But it really was not; in fact, it gave the chicken perfect undertones of lime, coconut, red pepper, and cilantro.

We just loved it!

I served this with basmati rice cooked in Tom Gha Kai coconut chicken soup . . .  superb!  And served some bright green, fresh steamed broccoli alongside a fresh fruit salad.

I would have preferred to serve my recipe for Thai Cucumber Salad, but my husband's tummy can't handle cucumbers.  But here's a photo and link for the recipe (also on my sidebar) for you.  It would pair perfectly with the chicken.

It was a lovely summer's evening dinner and I highly recommend this recipe!

Thanks Sam!


Sam's Carolina Kitchen "BBQ Thai Chicken"

1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup nam pla (Asian fish sauce)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 - 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 scallions, trimmed and minced, for garnish or Thai basil
1 fresh lime, cut in wedges for garnish

Combine the coconut milk, nam pla, lime juice, garlic, shallots, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar,
and cilantro in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and put it in a large plastic zip lock bag.
Pour the coconut mixture over the chicken and marinate it for 4 hours in the refrigerator, turning the chicken occasionally.
Prepare a gas or charcoal grill.
When the temperature is medium-hot, remove the chicken from the bag, and discard the marinade.
Place the chicken on the grill; cover and cook for about 8 minutes on one side.
Turn the chicken over and cook another 8 - 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
Transfer the chicken to a platter and garnish with the scallions or Thai basil.
Serve at once with lime wedges on the side.

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