My sister Fiona’s phenomenal grilled green chicken may be the best thing you throw on the grill or in your oven! This zingy, herby green Whole30-friendly marinade is downright magical because it transforms chicken into the tastiest you’ve ever eaten.
I’ve heard your many requests for an awesomely Paleo-friendly marinade, so I went to my sister, the bestest chef I know, and begged her for a recipe. After lots and lots of pestering (I’m an expert whiner, a skill honed with years of practice), she relented and sent me a recipe for her go-to Thai-inspired, herb-y green marinade. This marinade is PHENOMENAL, and can be used on a wide variety of meats or as a tasty condiment. This recipe is idiot-proof, people.
How to Make-Ahead and Freeze My Sister’s Phenomenal Grilled Green Chicken
Pro tip: Make a double batch. Cook ½ and freeze the other half. Check out this post to see how to do it!
Trust me: You need this recipe in your repertoire.
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems
- 1¼ cups packed basil leaves
- ¼ cup packed mint leaves
- ¼ cup Red Boat fish sauce
- 3 peeled garlic cloves
- zest of 1 lime
- plenty ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple juice (or 1 teaspoon maple syrup if you’re not on a Whole30)
- Kosher salt
- 3 pounds of chicken drumsticks or thighs
- 3 limes (optional)
Equipment:
- All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
Method:
Gather the ingredients…
…and make the marinade by adding the onion, cilantro, basil, mint, fish sauce, garlic, lime zest, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and apple juice to a high powered blender.
Purée until smooth.
Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. This is a marinade, so feel free to be a bit more heavy-handed with the salt than you normally would if using this as a sauce.
Toss the chicken into a gallon-sized food-safe zipper bag…
…and pour the marinade over it.
Rub the chicken through the bag to make sure the marinade is well distributed.
Seal the bag and marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge for at least one hour and up to one day. About an hour before you’re ready to grill, take the chicken out of the fridge.
(No grill? No problem—you can roast the chicken in the oven by roasting on a wire rack for 35-45 minutes at 400°F. If you’re using thighs instead of drumsticks, start with the chicken skin-side down, and flip it skin-side up at the 20 minute mark.)
UPDATED June 2, 2015: Check it out—VICE Munchies came to my house and shot a video of me making this Green Chicken in the oven! See? You totally don’t need a grill!
Whenever I can, though, I try to grill my Green Chicken. Set the grill to high, and place the chicken on the grates. Then, immediately decrease the heat to low.
Grill the chicken for approximately 25 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F), turning every 5-7 minutes.
But be patient: Don’t go and flip the bird (legs, that is) before they naturally release from the grill surface—otherwise, you’ll leave a lot of tasty, crispy, marinated skin stuck on the grates! You want your chicken to be pretty, right?
Serve the chicken with lime wedges.
By the way, you can always make Green Chicken ahead of time, and freeze the drumsticks by following these directions. Also, the marinade is great on EVERYTHING. Fiona’s Phenomenal Fish Packets are just one example!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
My Sister's Phenomenal Grilled Green Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet onion peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems
- 1¼ cups packed basil leaves
- ¼ cup packed mint leaves
- ¼ cup Red Boat Fish Sauce
- 3 peeled garlic cloves
- zest from 1 lime
- plenty ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple juice or 1 teaspoon maple syrup if you’re not on a Whole30
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 pounds chicken drumsticks or thighs
- 3 limes optional
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients, and make the marinade by adding the onion, cilantro, basil, mint, fish sauce, garlic, lime zest, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and apple juice to a high powered blender.
- Purée until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. This is a marinade, so feel free to be a bit more heavy-handed with the salt than you normally would if using this as a sauce.
- Place the chicken in a gallon-sized food-safe zipper bag, and pour the marinade over it. Rub the chicken through the bag to make sure the marinade is well distributed. Seal the bag and marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge for at least one hour and up to one day. About an hour before you’re ready to grill, take the chicken out of the fridge.
- No grill? No problem—you can roast the chicken in the oven by roasting on a wire rack for 35-45 minutes at 400°F. If you’re using thighs instead of drumsticks, start with the chicken skin-side down, and flip it skin-side up at the 20 minute mark.
- Personally, I prefer making Green Chicken on the grill. Set the grill to high, and place the chicken on the grates. Then, immediately decrease the heat to low.
- Grill the chicken for approximately 25 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F), turning every 5-7 minutes. Be patient: Don’t go and flip the bird (legs, that is) before they naturally release from the grill surface—otherwise, you’ll leave a lot of tasty, crispy, marinated skin stuck on the grates!
- Serve the chicken with lime wedges.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
can you put the marinated chicken in the freezer then take out, defrost and grill?
Yep!
Is there a substitution for the fish sauce?
Coconut aminos will work!
Absolutely delicious. I even used dry ingredients and it was amazing. Making a triple recipe today.
I cut the bones out of the chicken thighs and then marinated as called for. I removed most of the marinade from the skin side, wiped the skin off a bit with a damp paper towel and then stuck them in the air fryer! I got a delicious crackling top with the delicious marinated bottom. Cracklin chicken on green steroids. Delicious!!!
Can I eat this as if it were a sauce and not a marinade?
Yes, but you may need to reduce the amount of salt or fish sauce.
Unfortunately I have high blood pressure and am very sensitive to sodium. Is there a way to decrease sodium from fish sauce without skimping on flavor?
That’s tough. You can always leave it out, but there won’t be an easy substitute.
I’ve always made this as is and it’s awesome!! Will it also work with boneless/skinless chicken breast?
Yes! Just don’t overcook them—take them out when the breasts register about 150F.
Any air fryer settings?
You can cook them in the air fryer at 400°F for about 20 minutes, flipping at the halfway mark, or until cooked through.
How spicy is this recipe?
Not very spicy at all!