Asian-Inspired BBQ Chicken
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Think of this dish as chicken teriyaki with a South Asian flair, or India meets the other flavors of Asia.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
Flavored with soy sauce, ginger, lime, and garam masala (an Indian spice blend), this dish blends ingredients from all over Asia. It’s deliciously different, perfect for when you want to fire up the grill and elevate the usual cookout fare. Because of the sugar content in the marinade, the chicken gets gorgeously caramelized and charred on the grill.
For the chicken, you’ll need boneless, skinless chicken thighs. While boneless chicken breasts can substituted, thighs are juicier and more flavorful than boneless chicken breasts (not to mention more economical), which makes them a much better match for the bold flavors in this dish.
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Asian-Inspired BBQ Chicken
Think of this dish as chicken teriyaki with a South Asian flair, or India meets the other flavors of Asia.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 2-3 limes
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
- ¾ teaspoon Garam Masala (substitute curry powder if you can't find it)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less if you don't like heat)
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 2 scallions light and dark green parts only, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except for the chicken and scallions. Set ¼ cup of the marinade aside and cover (you'll use this later for the sauce), then place the rest in a zip-lock freezer bag with the chicken thighs. Be sure the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade, then place the bag in the refrigerator (in a bowl in case of leakage); let marinate for 3-4 hours.
- Preheat grill to high heat.
- Grease the grill. (Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; then, using tongs, carefully rub the towels over the grates several times until glossy and coated.) Place the chicken on the grill; cover and cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, then top with the reserved marinade and sliced scallions.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 653
- Fat: 44g
- Saturated fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Sugar: 21g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 39g
- Sodium: 1536mg
- Cholesterol: 222mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Jen, thanks for another great dinner! I skipped cayenne, because my little ones don’t like “spicy”, but otherwise followed exactly. Also used sauce for chicken legs.
Served with sweet & tangy slaw. Will likely make a regular appearance at our house.
Just delicious! The marinade was soooo good- someone suggested making more than required so that there is extra for drizzling, and I heartily second that opinion. Fantastic!
Made this a couple of weeks ago and it was a big hit! No leftovers even! I made a little extra sauce so you could spoon it over the rice. Will have a redo for sure!
Thanks for another great recipe!
I have some chicken legs I need to use up and thought I would try this recipe using them. How would you suggest I cook them as I don’t have a grill? They will have the bone in them, so will need to cook much longer I suppose.
Also, do you have other recipes for chicken legs that would be good to serve guests. I am having friends over and wanted to use up the legs I have already in the fridge. Thanks!
Hi Danielle, You could use the method used for these chicken drumsticks. (And this is an additional option to use up the extra chicken legs you have in the fridge.)
I love this recipe! I’m making it tonight for the second time. I’m glad you encouraged using chicken thighs. I have never cooked with them but they are excellent in this dish.
Hi Jen! In your other recipes you often say to use lime zest rather than juice in marinades which can make the chicken leathery. Is this an exception or would it be better to use the zest instead? If so how much?
Hi Adrienne, That rule only applies with white meat/chicken breasts so it’s fine to use lime juice with chicken thighs. Hope that helps!
My family absolutely loved this marinade! I followed the directions with only one exception. I marinated my chicken thighs overnight. In the future I will increase the marinade ingredients slightly, in order to have a larger quantity for the sauce.
I don’t have a grill. Can this be made stovetop/oven? If so for how long and what temperature? Thanks!!
Hi Jenny, Yes, you can definitely cook this in the oven. Use the broiler and cook it for the same amount of time that the recipe calls for. Enjoy!
Made this today for dinner. Seriously good. I think the boneless skinless thighs are really the way to go when marinating and bbqing.
Will be making this again for sure.
I can’t get a feel for whether this will lean towards Japanese or Indian! What sides do you recommend, other than plain jasmine or basmati rice?
I think either rice would be good and Simple Steamed Broccoli would work well as a veggie option.
I should have been clearer! I’d like to do something fun as side dishes! Not plain rice! Thanks.
Ah, got it. The sauce on the chicken is really flavorful, so I’d still keep the sides pretty simple. What about doing a cilantro rice like this one? That’d be pretty and a little more fun than plain jasmine rice, but still not too overpowering. As for a veggie, you could do roasted carrots with ginger (see this recipe), or throw a mix of veggies on the grill. Or combine the starch and veggie and make an Asian fried rice. Hope that helps!
Thank you Jenn! I made plain basmati rice and the ginger carrots (and broccoli). Chicken was awesome, but the veggies competed too much with the chicken. I should have stuck with your original suggestion! Love your site. I am having lots of fun going through the recipes. So is my family!
🙂 Try jazzing up the rice next time with a little cilantro and garlic — I think that’d work well.