Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Coca Cola Chicken Thighs

These easy chicken thighs are the real deal delicious.  The have a great depth of flavor with a slight hint of sweetness and spice.  It is not an overpowering, thick saucy thigh, but rather just a very flavorful, juicy piece of chicken.  We loved it.  The marinade does have a lot going on, but it is all stuff that I normally have around the house (balsamic, soy, siracha, etc.).  If you don't have siracha, you can substitute a dash of red pepper flakes.  This really worked out well on the grill because it wasn't too sugary.  When we do a marinade that is too thick and too sweet on chicken, the skin has been getting really burnt before the meat is fully cooked.  Mark uses a charcoal grill and he heats the charcoal up with a chimney.  When the charcoal is hot, he pours all of the coals on one half of the grill to create a hot-spot for searing the meat.  Then there is no charcoal on the other side to create a place for food like chicken to cook through.  This method really works well for us and gives a great sear and crust, while not burning food before it is cooked inside. 
Coca Cola Chicken Thighs
Ingredients:
4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
2 cups Coke (NOT diet and NOT Pepsi)
4 garlic cloves, minced fine
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. siracha
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1.  To prepare the marinade, combine all of the ingredients (except the chicken) in a freezer bag or in a container with a lid.
2.  Add the chicken and refrigerate for an hour or up to overnight.
3.  When you are ready to cook, sear the thighs for 2 minutes per side on a hot grill.
4.  Move to the cooler side of the grill and continue to cook another 8 minutes per side, until cooked through.
5.  Serve with your favorite side dish and veggies.
Delicious!

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2 comments:

  1. How do you keep yours from getting "over blackened"? Even on the cooler side of the grill, I can't seem to keep this from happening with sweet marinades:( Tips?

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  2. Yes - this is a really good question because super blackened chicken that is raw inside is not delicious. When I want a thick/sweet BBQ-type sauce on the chicken, I do not marinade it. I just sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill until almost done. Then I apply the sauce with a brush or a spoon. This will get a nice, crispy caramelization of the sauce and won't be on the heat too long to burn.

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