ALOHA! Today we are keeping it super simple and making an island inspired grilled chicken thigh so tasty your whole family will be coming back asking for seconds and thirds! It can be eaten plain with some sides or thrown on one of those wonderful Sweet Hawaiian Buns to make a grilled chicken sandwich so good no restaurant in the world can claim fame to your creation! This is one is going to be quick, folks, so I'm betting you can read this entire walk through before finishing a Mai Tai......like a normal person, ya booze hounds! Marinate, grill, eat.........let's get cooking!
Like I previously stated, literally only three steps to this delicious, succulent, island vibe chicken that will change your life! It all begins with the marinade, the single most important factor to making this chicken dance on your taste buds. Once again, I highly, highly, HIGHLY suggest, almost demand, you use chicken thighs here, but I know some Karen out there hates dark meat so go ahead and use breasts or tenderloins at your own risk! Anyway, keeping it simple as can be combine everything except the chicken in a large mixing bowl and give it a good stirring to combine thoroughly.
Well now that the physical hard work is over, lol, look over your thighs......or breasts......and clean up any extra fat or bits you don't want. Most boneless, skinless thighs tend to still be stuck together so use a knife or fingers to pull them apart so they lay flat. It isn't necessary but they tend to grill more evenly if they are mostly uniform in thickness. Now perform a little rocket science and add the chicken to the marinade. Use a couple ziplock bags or a sealable bowl, just make sure the chicken is submerged and taking in all those tasty flavors.
Let the chicken marinate at least 12 hours, but overnight is best. Honestly, you could probably let it go almost 2 days to really penetrate the meat with the most flavor possible. Nonetheless, fire up the grill and remove the chicken from the marinade at this point. If you are feeling extra special, pour the remaining marinade in a pot and reduce it down a bit to create a sauce or glaze. Or just set it aside because after you eat through this initial batch you may want to run out and grab some more chicken to refill your supply marinating in the fridge! I found myself doing the later, but try it first yourself and then realize I'm right, as usual, lol. Grill each thigh 5-6 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 170-175 degrees Fahrenheit. Dark meat actually needs those few extra degrees to make the texture just perfect, and not like you have to worry about it drying out. Now for you white meat breast people.....same same but pull it at 160-165 degrees and let the final bit of heat carry over to finish it off. It should be okay and plenty moist and succulent, but if you overcook it just a few degrees it will dry out like the Sahara and you will have to dunk it in some sort of sauce so plan ahead accordingly!
And that, my friends, is it! I told you it was super simple now didn't I? Throw a couple on a plate with some rice and my favorite side, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, or on a bun as a sandwich, but either way you won't be disappointed! Honestly, just click the mac salad link and let your taste buds take your mind and body away to a warm beach with your toes in the sand as you chow down on some amazing island chicken and sides! Pour a few too many Mai Tais and hell, you may end up online booking a vacation before you even realize it! But first, try this one out and let me know what you think. If you plan ahead with the marinade, it's about as quick as a dinner meal as can be made so next time you feel the need for some island sun but can't afford a getaway, hit up @grubbongrub on instagram and let me know if this did the trick! Mahalo and Aloha!
GRILLED HAWAIIAN CHICKEN
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