Why are you not cooking with chicken thighs? The rich meat is a boon for the grill, soaking up savory, charcoal-dusted flavor and reminding cooks of that using-the-whole-animal thing.
“I love the dark meat of chicken over white meat,” says Timon Balloo, chef and partner of Sugarcane Brooklyn, which also has outposts in Miami and Las Vegas. “It’s very forgiving to cook on the grill, ensuring that you always get a moist and tender outcome.”
Now, tell us why you’ve been slinging lackluster grilled chicken breasts on the Big Green Egg or grill top all these years?
Chef Timon Balloo’s Soy Marinated Chicken Thighs With Red Onion and Crunchy Greens
Makes 2 servings
Prep time
15 minutes min.
Cook time
40 minutes min.
Ingredients
- For chicken: 12 oz chicken thighs with skin on, boneless; 1 cup soy marinade (see below); 3 tbsp red onion, thin julienne (or shaved); 2 tbsp chives, 1-inch thick cut; ½ teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted; 8 pieces lettuce leaves, washed and soaked in ice water (Bibb, Gem, or Romaine)
- For the soy marinade: 1 cup soy sauce, low sodium; ¼ cup honey; ¼ cup sake or dry cooking sherry; ½ piece orange, cut in quarter, squeezed and added to marinade; 2 tbsp garlic, chopped; 1 tbsp ginger, chopped; 1 tbsp shallots or onions, chopped; 2 tbsp sesame oil, roasted
How to make it
Combine all ingredients for the soy marinade. Place chicken thighs in marinade and refrigerate for three-to-four hours.
Heat grill to medium-to-high and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 165° Fahrenheit. (In the winter, you can cheat and use your oven broiler on medium-to-high.)
Allow meat to rest for five minutes. Slice meat and place on top of lettuce leaf. Serve with red onion, chives, and toasted sesame seeds. Place on top.
