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.
(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)
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) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
My Sister's Phenomenal Grilled Green Chicken
Prep
Cook
Inactive
Total
Yield 4 servings
This zingy, herby green Paleo marinade is downright magical because it transforms chicken into the best dang dish you've ever eaten.
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)
- 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.
Notes
This marinade is super versatile! use it on all your favorite proteins!
Courses Dinner
Cuisine Paleo, Whole30, Gluten-free
