Cilantro Grilled Chicken

First, this is not a recipe for tacos….it’s a recipe for some delicious chicken that we usually use for tacos, but we have used it for salads, sandwiches, or just to have on its own. Second, if you have that genetic situation where cilantro tastes like soap, stay away from this recipe, also I send my sympathies!! Now I’ll try my best to hold off on the yakking and get straight to the recipe…but be sure to go read my yakking because I’ll have some tips about this recipe down there!

Ingredients

• 6-8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (or 3 Chicken Breasts pounded to about 1 inch)
• 1 Cup packed of Cilantro
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 4 TBS Lime Juice (1.5-2 limes)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 TBS Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Cumin

Instructions

• Place Cilantro, Oil, Lime Juice, Garlic, Brown Sugar, Salt, and Cumin into a food processor and pulse until smooth.
• (You can also just use a knife and finely chop everything and mix it, or use a mortar and pestle.)
• Trim any large amounts of fat off of the chicken thighs and then place them in a container.
• Pour in the cilantro marinade and let it sit for about a half hour at room temperature.
• Turn grill on high heat to preheat. When you place chicken on grill turn the heat to low, and then after the chicken is on put it back up to medium-high.
• Grill on each side for about 7 minutes.
• I suggest using a thermometer to check the internal temp is at least 165°.
• Place the chicken on a plate and cover with foil and let it rest for a few minutes, and then serve!!

Tips

Thighs work best for this recipe! But, you can switch them out for chicken breasts. I felt like the chicken breasts took on more of the salt, so cut your salt in half if you use breast meat. For the cilantro I usually just pull off the thick part of the stem and use the rest. I don’t bother with pulling off individual leaves since it will all be blended up. Chicken thighs have more fat, so if your grill is prone to flaming up, like mine, keep a close eye on it and a cup of water nearby!

Time to yak!! I’m so excited to share this recipe, it’s definitely one of my favorites! I remember one summer about 3 years ago I cooked it just about once a week to try and get the recipe right! Our favorite way to eat this is to slice it up for tacos, but it’s great on its own also. Check out my recipe for Pickled Jalapeños and Pickled Onions!