Always looking for flavor, I came upon this wonderful website called Once Upon a Chef and have been cooking from it all summer. Jenn Segal definitely knows how to create recipes that are flavorful and novel. Honey Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skwers was one the first main course dishes we tried of hers and we were not disappointed, even with the leftovers!
Over the past year or so, I've begun noticing boneless chicken thighs at the super market. I made a mental note but continued to pick up the ones with the bone in for our Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs. Well Jenn really recommended using the boneless dark chicken meat for this recipe, so I thought I'd comply at least for the first time I made it. I must report that boneless thighs are not the easiest meat to work with as they need to be trimmed of grizzle and excess fat leaving smaller "clean" pieces than the recipe indicated was needed. Just cut off the excess, much of the fat will cook away, leaving moist, flavorful meat ... really.
Sriracha (pronounced SIR-rotch-ah) sauce is now readily available in most supermarkets. It's a Thai Chili Sauce, made from red chilis, garlic, sugar and salt, that we were introduced to by Michael Symon in his Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup. Now we keep a bottle in the pantry all the time, it adds a real zing to soups, sauces, burgers, and even chicken. A marinade made with this sauce, a little soy, lime juice, garlic, and fresh ginger could never be bad in our opinion and we were right.
We left the chicken pieces in the marinade over night, then grilled them on skewers, drizzled them with a little more of the marinade, and this was one memorable meal, served with rice and cole slaw on the side. It can be made with chicken breast meat but you risk having the meat dry out if you don't watch it carefully. If you like dark meat, try it the original way, it was great.
Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers
(Serves 4-6)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lime zest, from one lime
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 2 limes
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1½ square inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1½ tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1¼ teaspoon salt
2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (between 8-10), trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing platter
Limes, sliced into wedges, for garnishing platter (optional)
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- In a blender, combine the soy sauce, honey, oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, ginger, Sriracha and salt. Blend until completely smooth. Pour ½ cup of the marinade into a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (this will be your sauce).
- Combine the chicken and remaining marinade in a large Ziplock bag and seal tightly. Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers, folding the pieces in half if they are long and thin.
- Be sure the grill is clean, then preheat to medium-high heat. To grease the grill, lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the chicken kebabs, covered, until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it -- if they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down.) Transfer the skewers to a platter. Warm up the reserved marinade in the microwave and either drizzle it over top or pass it alongside. Scatter the chopped cilantro over top and garnish the platter with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, if desired.
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