Welcome to your newest go-to summer marinade, featuring some spicy sambal, brown sugar and coconut milk to balance out the heat, and lots of fresh ginger and lime juice. This one’s just as awesome with shrimp or flank or skirt steak as it is with chicken thighs.
Ingredients
4 servings
1
5
¾
¼
¼
2
1
2
2
½
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare a grill for medium heat. Finely grate ginger and garlic into a medium bowl. Add coconut milk, chili paste, lime juice, brown sugar, salt, and 2 Tbsp. oil and whisk to combine. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let sit at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Step 2
Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into bowl, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Pour marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2–3 minutes.
Step 3
Clean and generously oil grate of grill (if there are a few flare-ups while you do so, not to worry, they will burn off). Grill chicken, turning once and basting occasionally with marinade, until you see some good grill marks and chicken is cooked through, 8–10 minutes.
Step 4
Transfer chicken to a platter. Brush with remaining marinade. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges alongside.
How would you rate Spicy Coconut Grilled Chicken Thighs?
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Reviews (144)
Back to TopDelicious! Made exactly as described except used half the amount of sambal oelek, reduced the salt, and added a splash of gf soy sauce. Chicken was beautifully tender and had a terrific flavor. Do not omit the lime wedges on the side!
Jane
Invermere, BC
7/20/2022
PACKED WITH FLAVOR! wow, this was delicious. I used chicken breast, and so delicious coconut milk and I'm already looking forward to making this again. I had it for dinner last night with cilantro lime brown rice and a bell pepper black bean salad and I'm having it right now for lunch with mixed greens, cucumber with a coconut balsamic. This dish will be a part of my normal rotation without a doubt.
M.S.
North Haven, CT
7/14/2022
Wow I made this with chicken breast and wow! Packed with flavor, OMG so good. I used to coconut milk from the van so the marinade was a little thick but that’s alright. Since I only cooked for two I saved half of the marinade and threw it in the freezer. Highly highly recommend!!
JC
San Diego CA
10/13/2021
Yum ! I don't have a grill, so I use a cat iron skillet in a really hot onion, skin side down. Really good and looks nice. Easy date meal!
Jack N
Far side of the moon
8/26/2021
I love this recipe, Molly! Served the chicken thighs up with rice and stir fried garden veggies. This is one recipe that is getting the honor of being written down on actual paper and going in my recipe box! I can’t wait to try it with flank steak!
JJ Hardy
The Dalles, OR
8/20/2021
1" ginger = 1/4 oz.
JOHN M.
Cortez, CO
8/6/2021
What does a 3 inch piece of ginger amt to? ginger comes in many sizes... grrrr
Anonymous
Denver
7/7/2021
Love this recipe and make it regularly alongside BA's Big-Flavor Broccoli! The sauce packs in amazing flavours and the chicken thighs are really tender. Works on the BBQ or on a stovetop grill pan.
Rosie M
Ontario, Canada
4/18/2021
We made this recipe with shrimp instead (Like Molly did in the video) and it did not disappoint!!! just the right amount of heat. So wonderfully bright with the lime and the ginger. Will definitely be making again! With chicken... or steak... or shrimp :)
Blake D
4/14/2021
This recipe is so delicious and my family loves it! I've mad it with breasts and thighs, both come out great! I highly reccommend using the Huy Fong Foods Chili Garlic Sauce.
Mayrav Estrin
Brooklyn, NY
3/4/2021
Absolutely fabulous! I didn't have lime juice or hot sauce, but added lemon pepper and red pepper flakes. Added shrimp, sesame oil and Skinny Girl Fetticini, fabulous! The ginger really kicked it up a notch!
Anonymous
Moses Lake, WA
2/27/2021
This recipe packs a flavor punch! I can't wait to try the marinade on shrimp and steak as others have suggested.
Anonymous
Charlottesville, VA
11/22/2020
I'm always trying to find new ways to cook up chicken Thighs and this was a definite winner. After reading reviews, I did make some minor adjustments. Another reviewer noted that 1 tablespoon seems like a typo and I would agree. Sambal chili is already pretty salty om it's own so I only added 1/2 a teaspoon which was plenty of salt. I also threw the cilantro into the marinade and blended it up before marinating the chicken and omitted the added oil completely since full fat coconut milk has plenty of fat on its own and chicken thighs are already juicy. I also didn't bother reheating the marinade (out of laziness) and baste the thighs and felt they still had plenty of flavor.
Anonymous
Los Angeles
10/27/2020
Very tasty! Used gochujang because that's all I had, should have added some more spice, but the marinade/sauce was still delicious. Pan fried it since I don't have grill access right now, and still good. Excited to try with different proteins!
muzac_luver_121621
Phoenix, AZ
8/21/2020
So flavorful!
Anonymous
Mill Valley, CA
8/1/2020