Hawaiian Grilled Chicken Thighs with Coconut Rice

As Spring bleeds into summertime, I can't help but get more and more excited to bust out our grill.

And when I say grill, I promise I'm not one of those bloggers with a huge gorgeous expensive grill on their back porch (even though that'd be lovely). In fact, we don't have a backyard, we're not allowed to grill on our balconies in the apartment complex, and to top it off - we have one of those little 9x13'' baby grills. Goes to show that you can have fun grilling no matter what you're using. I still look forward to using that little guy to grill up all the fresh veggies and marinated meats I can fit on it!

Plus, I've gotten a little too good at setting off our fire alarm inside with our stove-top grill pan.



This is one of those super-low maintenance grilling recipes that uses something other than chicken breast. I'm 100% a chicken breast girl all the way, but my husband really loves the dark meat. Chicken thighs are the perfect way to go. I suggest using boneless chicken thighs for grilling, too. I know the bone-in gives it more flavor, but the extra maintenance isn't worth the time if you're in a rush for dinner.

To start off, if you know you're going to make this for dinner, throw all the ingredients with the raw (and unfrozen) chicken to marinate for a a few hours (8 hours to overnight is best, but this has worked well with only 6 hours of soaking, too).

Grilling is definitely the fun part. When your delicious coconut rice is cooking (rice cookers are my friends), head outside and preheat the grill. Working in batches (according to how small or large your grill is), place the chicken thighs on the grill. Let cook for about 4-5 minutes on the first side, and on a few minutes on the other side. The char is the best part, so if it gets a little darker on the outside, don't worry one bit. Just make sure you're not overcooking the poor things :)

After you grill these little lovers up (make sure you're using a meat thermometer to test for the appropriate temperature - chicken is 165 degrees), let them sit on a plate covered in aluminum foil for a few minutes. This allows the juices to seep back into the meat; intensifying the flavors you've pampered the meat with from all those gorgeous marinade flavors. This is also a great time to toss on some fresh veggies to serve alongside your meat and rice. When everything is finished, serve over the easiest coconut rice you've made in your life, and call it dinner this week!

xo,

blondie

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Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

ingredients:

3 lbs chicken thighs, skinless, boneless

2 C soy sauce

1 1/2 C brown sugar

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/4 C white onion, chopped

1/2 t minced garlic

1 T sesame oil

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk

method:

1. Trim your chicken of any noticeable fat. Prepare marinade by mixing soy sauce, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large flat tupperware dish (or sturdy ziploc bag). Add chicken to marinade, and turn to coat. Cover with an airtight lid, and marinade 8+ hours, or overnight. 

2. Grill chicken at medium heat for about 3ish minutes per side, or until chicken hits 165 on a meat thermometer. 

3. Serve over a platter of coconut white rice (recipe below).

recipe adapted from: the girl who ate everything

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Easy Coconut Rice 

makes 4-5 small servings

ingredients:

2 C jasmine rice

1 1/2 C water

1 C canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 t kosher salt

method:

1. Rinse and drain the rice in cold water. Place rice, water, coconut milk, and salt in a rice cooker and cook according to manufacturers directions (mine took about 15-20 minutes) until tender.