THAI COCONUT MARINATED CHICKEN

Thai Coconut Marinated Chicken image

Chicken infused in a gorgeous Thai coconut marinade. Coconut milk adds subtle coconut flavour to the chicken flesh, as well as richness which is unique - most marinades tenderise and add flavour, but not richness. This recipe is best made with fresh garlic, ginger etc, but you can absolutely use paste from a jar too - even the lemongrass. Refer notes for alternative chicken cuts for this recipe, and recipe video is below. MARINATING TIME: 24 - 48 hours.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 24

Ingredients

Marinade (Note 1):
1 tsp garlic , minced
1 tsp ginger , minced
1 tsp chilli , finely chopped (or paste is fine), adjust quantity to taste (Note 2)
1 lemongrass , white part only, finely chopped (Note 3)
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp curry powder (any is fine)
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
3/4 cup coconut milk (full fat please!)
Chicken:
750 g - 1 kg / 1.5 - 2 kg chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless (Note 4)
Oil for cooking
Coconut Peanut Sauce:
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp peanut butter, smooth
2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 garlic clove , minced
1/2 tsp chilli paste or fresh chilli , adjust to taste
Garnish (optional):
Finely chopped coriander / cilantro and more chilli , for garnish
Lime wedges (highly recommended)

Steps:

Mix marinade in a large bowl. Add chicken and mix. Cover with cling wrap and marinate in the fridge for 24 - 48 hours (can't skip marinating for this recipe).
Brush BBQ with oil, or heat 1 tbsp in a skillet (I used a skillet). Use Medium heat - or Medium Low if your stove/BBQ runs hot (otherwise marinade may burn). Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess. Cook the first side for around 5 minutes or until caramelised and golden. Turn then cook the other side for 4 minutes until caramelised.
BAKING: See Note 4.
Transfer chicken to serving plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander / chilli if desired, and serve with lim wedges and Sauce.
Place ingredients in a bowl and mix a bit. Microwave for 30 seconds, then mix until smooth. Bring to room temperature or serve warm (it thickens a bit when cooled).
Recipe Notes
The marinade is best made with fresh ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass but it is still terrific using store bought jarred garlic etc. Lemongrass is sold in tubes in the fresh produce section of Australian supermarkets and it is actually very good. I would use 1 1/2 teaspoons if using paste.
Chilli - use any fresh chilli you want. Rule of thumb - the smaller the chilli, the spicier it is! I used large red chillis in this (cayenne peppers) which are not that hot. Thai Chillies are super spicy, as are Birds Eye Chillies.
If using fresh lemongrass, peel the green reedy outer layer off to reveal the white part. Then finely chop the white part only.
You can also use lemongrass paste. I would use 1 1/2 teaspoons.
This recipe works best with chicken cuts with fat. Boneless thigh is my favourite. It is fantastic with drumsticks and other bone in cuts, but it is better to roast rather than cook on BBQ (marinade has tendency to burn and these take longer to cook).
Roast drumsticks and wings for 45 min @ 180C/350F, bone in thighs for 50 min - it caramelises nicely.
For CHICKEN BREAST, it is best to cut in half horizontally before marinating. Then they will only take 3 minutes on each side to cook so they'll be nice and juicy. Coconut milk is fantastic for adding richness into breast! I don't recommend roasting breast - you won't get the caramelisation on the surface (key for flavour)
SERVED WITH plain tomato and cucumber chunks (very typical side in Thailand) and Thai Fried Rice (but without chicken).
The Sauce is a variation of the fantastic (quick!) Vietnamese Peanut Sauce I use for my Vietnamese Spring Rolls. All I did was sub the milk for coconut milk and use lime instead of vinegar. Works a treat!
Nutrition assumes 5 servings, 1 kg/2lb chicken, accounts for 1/4 cup coconut milk in the marinade (rest is discarded) and that all the sauce is consumed.