This simple grilled chicken thighs recipe gets powerful flavor from a Vietnamese-inspired marinade that hits all the right notes. Packed with fish sauce, brown sugar, and chiles the marinade is more paste than liquid, allowing it to cling to the meat and have a major impact in a short amount of time.
The universal marinade will work with anything from shrimp to tofu to short ribs, but if you’re going with poultry, stick with skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Dark meat is juicy and has more flavor than chicken breasts, and while we usually favor skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, this recipe was built with speed in mind. Using boneless meat reduces the cook time, but it also allows for more surface area so that the marinade can work its magic on the chicken more quickly.
Use the downtime (as little as 10 minutes, but up to two hours) to start on a simple side dish like cookbook author Andrea Nguyen’s confetti broccoli and herb slaw with a tangy lime juice and sriracha dressing, or Ben Bynum’s silky, mustardy potato salad.
You don’t need an instant-read thermometer here, but if you feel more comfortable using one, you’re looking for an internal temperature of 165° in the thickest part of the thigh. Let the chicken rest to redistribute the juices while you finish making the slaw or other sides.
Recipe information
Total Time
25 minutes plus marinating
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
2
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
Chicken and assembly
1¼
2
½
Preparation
Chicken marinade
Step 1
Using a Microplane, finely grate 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed, tough outer layers removed, 1 serrano chile (seeds and all), 3 garlic cloves, and 1 1" piece ginger, peeled into a medium bowl. (Alternatively, you can chop very finely, then mash to a paste using the side of your knife.) Add 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. fish sauce, and 1 Tbsp. soy sauce and mix well.
Chicken and assembly
Step 2
Season 1¼ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs with kosher salt and add to bowl with marinade. Turn as needed to coat completely. Marinate at least 10 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Step 3
Prepare a grill for high indirect heat (for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off; for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side); oil grill grate. Grill chicken over hottest part of grill, moving to cooler zone as needed if browning too fast, until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Step 4
Transfer sliced chicken pieces to a platter and top with 2 scallions, thinly sliced and ½ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in our August 2019 issues. Head this way for more great grilling recipes, like bbq chicken with crispy skin, lemon and black pepper chicken with a honeyed glaze, and all our favorite grilled chicken recipes →
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