Sticky Hoisin Chicken Thighs

Sticky Hoisin Chicken with Raw Zucchini Ginger Salad and Brown Rice

This is so quick and easy to prepare, the chicken is super yummy and sticky and your guests will love it!

This dish is a family favorite around my house! The sticky thighs and gooey rice are a party on your plate!

I always use chicken thighs for this recipe, they're quick to grill, cook evenly and the dark meat really marries happily with the sticky hoisin sauce!

INGREDIENTS:

8-10 Boneless Chicken Thighs (about 3 pounds)

2-3 Green Onions

1 Cup Fresh Cilantro 

For the Marinade:

1 Cup Hoisin Sauce

1 Cup BBQ Sauce

1/2 Teriyaki Sauce 

1/8 Cup Fish Sauce (optional)

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Fresh Grated Ginger

2 TB Sesame Seeds

1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

S&P

No need to spend big bucks on the sauces for the marinade. I always stock up on store brand or generic sauces to use as a filler, you get the bulk of the flavor from the hoisin!

Whisk the sauces and brown sugar together in a medium sized bowl, then stir in the ginger, sesame seeds, red pepper and S&P. Pour the majority of the marinade over the chicken thighs in a large shallow dish, stirring them to be sure all of the meat is covered. Reserve the rest of the marinade for basting the thighs while grilling. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the zuc salad. 

The chicken thighs, when marinated, will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

		This fresh and light zucchini salad is a hit on it's own and a great way to sneak in some raw veggies into your loved one's diet, they won't even notice ;)
	Here's a lil tip: Ginger is actually really easy to peel. Just use a knife or even the edge of a spoon and scrape back the skin from the "meat". It's better than cutting it off and wasting precious ginger.	This stuff rules! You can get it at Whole Foods, Sprouts and specialty shops. I use it on everything and it's a great substitution for fresh ginger or if you'd just like a different texture.

Zuc Salad:

2 Zucchini or Yellow Squash (cubed)

1 TB Fresh Grated Ginger

1 1/2 tsp Whole Cumin Seed

1/2 tsp Caraway Seed

1/2 tsp Curry Powder

1 TB Olive Oil

S&P

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and place in the fridge while you cook the chicken and rice, this will give the flavors a chance to mingle and the result will be a bright, zesty, flavor packed dish!

 For the Rice:

1 Cup Brown Basmati Rice

1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce

S&P

Cook rice as directed then stir in Teriyaki sauce and S&P to taste.

Toss lightly with zuc salad just before serving.

Grilling is by far, the best way to cook up these thighs! It leaves them tender and juicy with crunchy, slightly charred bits around the edges...my favorite part!!

FIRE UP THE GRILL!

Grill your thighs for 5 mins or so on each side, basting towards the end to get a nice caramelized crunch!

Plate it up!!

Place crispy chicken thighs on a bed of rice and zucs, garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds and cilantro!

OK....now I'm hungry!!

Here's a simpler version just served with corn and grilled asparagus, it's super easy!

Thanks for checkin out my chicken!!