I have always been a wuss where heat/spice is concerned. My paternal side loves spicy food and I just never did. Then SE Asian cuisine entered my world in junior high and it became an entirely different story. I liked a small amount of the heat. I’d add two or three drops of Sriracha on my food to my friends’ tablespoon size serving, but still, it was major progress for me. In time, I worked my way up to at least a solid teaspoon, maybe a teaspoon and a half.
However, all that went away when I had gastric bypass. I’m back to a drop or two of Sriracha. I can handle a bit of heat in other dishes likes Mexican or Italian now though, so that is progress. Any more than that, I am in physical pain. Not heartburn pain either. I joke that my 4 year old can handle more heat than I can, and it might not be a joke.
When I want to make any type of dish that should have a spicy element to it, I have to be careful. This dish should be spicy, but I opted to make it mild. The flavor was still intense and powerful. The heat was not missing. That being said, if you like heat, add a Thai chili or two.
Now a word about the final grilling pictures, sigh, we heated the grill, got it up to temperature, placed the chicken, closed the lid, and set the timer. We went back out at the sound of the buzzer to flip them and nothing…no heat, no Thai marinated grilling fragrance wafting upon the breeze, nothing but raw chicken. We ran out of propane. The chicken was removed from the grill, more propane was acquired, the grill back up to the correct temperature, and replaced the chicken. They cooked up perfectly but bear some battle wounds from being ripped prematurely from the grill. Taste was not affected one bit. Just as tasty as could be.
The sauce makes over a cup, and will keep for a week, sealed in the refrigerator if you do not use it all in one sitting.
Ingredients
- 2-4 lbs . chicken tenders
Marinade
- 5 cloves garlic
- 5 Anaheim chilies
- ½ onion
- ½ cup cilantro
- 3 tbsp . fish sauce
- 1 tbsp . brown sugar
- 2 limes; juiced
- 2 tsp . garlic chili paste
- 2 tbsp . red wine vinegar
- Salt/pepper to taste
- Water (if needed, no more than 2 tbsp.)
Instructions
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In a blender or food processer, add all the ingredients for the marinade except the water. Pulse until all the ingredients begin to combine together into a chunky mess. Add any water if needed and continue to pulse until it has reached a partially smooth, partially chunky consistency.
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Reserve ¼ to ½ cup of the sauce.
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In a large zip seal bag, add the chicken tenders and the remaining ½ cup or so of marinade.
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Shake well; get your dance on to make sure all the chicken tenders have been well coated in the sauce.
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Allow the chicken to marinate for at least one hour; flip the bag every 15 minutes to ensure the marinade is thoroughly absorbed by the chicken.
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Prepare your charcoal grill or preheat your gas grill.
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Once the grill is ready, remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the grill.
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Grill for approximately 3 to 5 minutes on each side, but this will vary based on the thickness of your chicken tenders and your grill.
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It’s best to use a thermometer and make sure your chicken registers 165°.
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Serve with the reserved sauce as either a topping or a dip.
18 Comments
JJ
July 23, 2014 at 11:05 pmThis looks delish! Can’t wait to try this.
Michelle
July 24, 2014 at 12:57 amThank you JJ, I hope you love them.
Christie - Food Done Light
July 24, 2014 at 6:54 amI love thai food especially fish sauce. This looks perfect for a Thai food craving.
Michelle
July 24, 2014 at 5:46 pmChristie, I too love fish sauce! Nice to find another person who does as well!
janelle
July 24, 2014 at 8:30 amI would eat this 100x. I love new ways to cook and flavor chicken.
Michelle
July 24, 2014 at 5:47 pmJanelle, if you love chicken and Thai, you won’t go wrong with this dish.
Sandi
July 24, 2014 at 8:42 amMichelle, I love this recipe. I am always looking for simple and easy chicken dishes for those nights our family is rushed for dinner. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Michelle
July 24, 2014 at 5:48 pmSandi, It’s so easy. A quick blend of everything in the blender, toss it in a bag and it marinate, grill and serve. Enjoy.
Nicole, RD
July 24, 2014 at 7:07 pmI feel like I’m missing out big time…I’ve never had Vietnamese or Cambodian cuisine 🙁 But Thai? Oh yes! And this marinade? Oh yes!
Michelle
July 24, 2014 at 10:00 pmNicole…we must change the no Vietnamese or Cambodian cuisine. They are both wonderful. Vietnamese has a lot of French influence so maybe start with a Bahn mi sandwich. Cambodian is a nice blend between Thai and Vietnamese, but still it’s own. I could go on and on.
Naomi
August 21, 2014 at 6:36 amThis looks sooo delicious. The only thing is that I want to like cilantro so badly, but just can’t. I’ve had it once and it was good, every other time…ugh. I’ve heard that there is some chemical component that some love it and others never can, guess I’m in the never can department, sadly.
Michelle
August 25, 2014 at 2:50 pmI don’t know about the chemistry of cilantro, but it definitely is one ingredient that is love it or hate it.
Elizabeth
April 12, 2015 at 1:55 amMmmm loving the sound of this! Gorgeous flavours and it sounds easy to make too. WIn-win!
Michelle
April 12, 2015 at 3:53 pmIt really is easy to make and quite simple.
Arman @ thebigmansworld
April 12, 2015 at 2:41 amMichelle, I am yet to come across one of your recipes which hasn’t made me drool! I love that chilli sauce (Even more than sriracha…oops).
Michelle
April 12, 2015 at 3:54 pmI can drink the sweet chili sauce, I will make my own version one of these days.
Erin @ Platings and Pairings
April 12, 2015 at 5:00 pmI am such a fan of thai food – This looks SO yummy, can’t wait to try it. Pinned!
Michelle
April 13, 2015 at 11:08 amThank you Erin.