Sweet Soy Grilled Chicken Thighs

I have made this chicken for many-a-cookout and not to toot my own horn, but I continue getting requests for this chicken years after making it. The people know a good piece of grilled chicken when they taste it and they do not forget about it. I recommend only bringing this chicken to cook outs if you are prepared to be responsible for bringing it to every subsequent gathering.

Sweet Soy Grilled Chicken Thighs

Serves: 6

Active Time: 5 minutes (excluding marinading time)

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. sriracha
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 inch grated fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sriracha, garlic, basil, oregano, pepper and ginger and whisk until smooth.
2. Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade for basting while cooking the chicken. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken thighs in a bowl or gallon sized plastic bag. Let the chicken marinade for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours.
3. When ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium-high heat (400 degrees.) Once preheated, place the chicken on the grill and discard the remaining marinade. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature of the chicken in 165 degrees.
4. Shortly before the chicken is cooked through, brush the reserved marinade over the chicken and allow it to finish cooking.
5. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to sit, covered for 5 minutes before serving!

Southern Rhône Red

MY RECOMMENDATION:

Les Halos de Jupiter- Costiéres de Nimes Rouge- Find it at Total Wine

WHY IT WORKS:

• This is a wine from the South of Rhône. Don't worry, the Rhône is not as intimidating as it sounds. It is a region in France that runs along the Rhône River that is known for producing bold, leathery reds.
• Côtes du Rhône red wines such as this one are typically known for their balance of fruit forward notes in combination with leather and tobacco notes. This particular wine is no different, but it does lean more towards the fruit forward pallet. It has notes of red berries, plum, blackberries and some vanilla and tobacco.
• This wine is a blend of Grenache (70%), Mourvédre (20%) and Syrah (10%). The Grenache is what brings the fruit notes to the party and is a very common grape that is dominant in Côtes du Rhône red blends. Due to the high level of Grenache, this is a fruitier blend than some others which may lean more toward the tobacco and leather notes.
• I like this wine with the sweet soy grilled chicken because while this wine is fairly high in tannin, it also has the fruit forward notes and medium acidity. This lightens it up to make it perfect for pairing this charred, smokey chicken.
• Typically Côtes du Rhône reds are best for pairing with beef and lamb, but with this being a bit lighter blend, I think that it works nicely with the grilled chicken.