Juicy Grilled Chicken Thighs: K-Style

The heat has moderated, so I will consider pulling out the grill and doing some summer stuff.

The local not-quite-a-mega-mart had a sale on boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which are perfect grill fodder. One can grill them directly, but they can benefit significantly from marination. For this, I’ll go Asian, Korean to be exact.

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a healthy, flavorful, quick protein option. Using skinless thighs helps to keep the chicken thigh calories low.

Almost all Korean marinades call for grated pear; I’ll skip that and use a high-quality, minimally processed apple sauce. The rest of the marinade is pretty much standard Asian flavors: garlic, ginger, sesame, chili flake, etc. For this specific cook, I have some good-quality gochujang, several tbsp of which I’ll toss into the marinade instead of the chili flake.

Just a couple of notes on grilling chicken thighs:

Juicy: Chicken thighs are inherently juicier than chicken breast, making them much more challenging to dry. Plus, these chicken thighs are marinated, meaning they’re extra juicy.

Healthy: While chicken thighs do have more fat than chicken breasts, they are still an excellent, lean source of protein that deserves to be in your diet. Chicken thighs also contain more vitamins and minerals than chicken breasts.

Fast: Boneless chicken thighs can be grilled on a gas or charcoal grill in 8 to 10 minutes (flipping once halfway through grilling). They’re perfect for a fast and tasty dinner!

Flavor: Dark meat has a richer flavor than white meat.

Marinade: The key to grilling chicken thighs that are tender, juicy, and flavorful.

K-Style Chicken and Marinade.

It’s so juicy and flavorful, quick and easy to make, and perfect for weeknight grilling.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Marinate 8 hours hrs

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Korean

Servings 4 people

Calories 307 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Marinade

• 1/4 cup Apple Sauce Unsweetened
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce Low Sodium
• 1/4 cup Yellow Onion minced fine
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil Toasted if possible
• 1 tbsp Ginger Fresh Grated
• 1 tbsp Turbiuno Light Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Garlic crushed
• 1-2 tsp chili flake Optional and to taste
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds

Chicken

• 1 lb Chicken thighs Skinless, boneless

Instructions

 

Preperation

• In a medium bowl, add all of the marinade and whisk thoroughly
• Place chicken in a zip lock bag and add marinade, reserve 1/4 cup of marinade.
• Close, place in a baking dish, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight, turning/mixing at least twice.

Cooking

• Bring grill to medium-high heat, ~375 and 450 degrees F
• Grill the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes or until it no longer sticks to the grill
• Turn the chicken and spoon the reserved ¼ cup of marinade over each piece.
• Cook an additional 4-5 minutes, Use a meat thermometer to measure 170.

Notes

Basic K-style grilled chicken can be used in salads, rolled in a pita with tzatziki, grilled on skewers with veggies, or served over rice.

It’s a very versatile main. 

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 20gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 907mgPotassium: 316mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 242IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg

Keyword banchan, Chicken, Grill, marinade

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