This is an example of how to use the basic technique of grill roasting chicken parts as the base for a more complex recipe. I love the combination of tastes in this recipe - The garlicy-herby chicken, with its crispy skin, together with the Thai dipping sauce. The dipping sauce seems simple, but it is the key to the recipe. It has a wonderful balance of the four key Thai flavors-Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet.*

*When I was writing this, I wanted to use...well, what's the equavlient of a trilogy, but for four things?

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Thai Style Grill Roasted Chicken Breasts

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Author: Mike Vrobel
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

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Description

Garlicky, herby grill roasted chicken breasts with crispy skin, served with a hot, sour, salty and sweet Thai dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Brine

4 pounds chicken breasts, skin on and bone in
½ cup table salt or fine sea salt
2 quarts water

Thai Wet Rub

12 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ground coriander
Leaves from about ⅓ of a bunch of cilantro
Juice from 2 limes

Thai Dipping Sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 small cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Instructions

Brine the chicken: 1 hour before cooking, dissolve the salt in the water, then submerge the chicken.
Preheat the grill and rub the chicken: 15 to 30 minutes before cooking, preheat your grill for indirect heat. While the grill is heating, make the wet rub: combine all the rub ingredients except the lime juice in a food processor, and pulse until finely minced. Add the lime juice, and pulse to combine. Remove the chicken from the brine, pat it dry with paper towels, and rub the chicken all over with the wet rub. Slide a finger carefully under the breast skin (don't tear it!) and get some of the rub under there. Let the chicken sit at room temperature until the grill is preheated.
Grill the chicken: Cook the chicken over the unheated part of the grill, 40 to 50 minutes, or until it reaches 160°F in the thickest part of the largest breast. Remove from the grill, and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Make the dipping sauce: While the chicken is grilling, put all the dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Divide the sauce into individual bowls, one per person, and serve with the chicken.

Notes

There is a LOT of garlic in this recipe. If your grocery store sells fresh peeled garlic (not the stuff in oil in jars), this is a great time to use it. Inspect it carefully before you buy it - it goes bad quickly. Check the expiration date, and watch out for water, brown spots, or mold.

See my basic technique for grill roasted chicken pieces for more on the method.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Brine: 1 hour
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Adapted from a recipe from Cooks Illustrated

. Inspired by Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet.