While we earnestly hope your Father’s Day weekend finds you fishing, man (and his family) must eat too.
As if made to order for Father’s Day and another fine summer grilling weekend, lately one of our go-to grocers has been rolling out fairly consistent specials on bone-in chicken thighs ($1.09 / lb. yesterday, skin-on). We say hot damn.
The lowly chicken thigh doesn’t get the proper respect it deserves.
Rich, almost sweet dark meet made even more flavorful by the single, easy to handle bone right down the middle, encased in (gasp, cough from the hoodwinked saturated fat fear mongers) a wrapper of crispy skin, is tough to beat (perhaps topped only by a finely grilled, well-spiced chicken wing).
Long time readers and friends understand our penchant for flavor-packed foods; this Grilled Citrus Chicken doesn’t disappoint with it’s strong citrus punch balanced by the herbal flavors from the green onions and cilantro and the background saltiness of the soy sauce.
Super simple prep and a quick cook make this one a no-brainer for the weekend. Splurge and get skin-on chicken thighs, you need to at least try it once with the full package of texture and flavors, even if it does create a bit more work on the grill.
Hot damn, it’s high grilling season (even if it’s going to rain for a few days here in the PNW).
2 bunches scallions (green onions), white and usable green, sliced thinly
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender shoots
5 garlic gloves
1 tbsp. lime zest, fine
1 tbsp. orange zest, fine
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
2/3 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. fresh cracked pepper
4 lb. bone-in chicken thighs (even better with skin on)
Make a marinade | sauce. Set aside roughly 1/2 cup of the sliced green onions, then combine all other ingredients but the chicken in a food processor and pulse to form a rough puree.
Set aside about 2/3 cup of marinade / sauce, use the rest to cover the chicken (gallon plastic bag perfect here). Marinate for at least 30 minutes but not more than a couple of hours or the citrus juices will soften the chicken too much.
Meanwhile, make fire.
To the grill. Grill for what should be 12-15 minutes total time, with careful to attention to crisping up that skin without burning it. For our technically inclined grilling brethren, internal temps target for chicken thighs is 165.
Sauce and serve. Let rest for a couple of minutes off the grill (chicken pieces have very little thermal mass and don’t do much holdover cooking) and then drizzle on a bit of the reserved sauce followed by an artful sprinkle of the sliced green onions.
Enjoy.
