Asian Barbecued Chicken

I love Asian flavors but I don't venture into that realm often. This recipe for Asian Barbecue Chicken is wonderful as the ingredients are probably in every ones pantry and there's nothing fancy or hard to find. All you need are some basic ingredients and a grill and you can have some really delicious chicken. I used a charcoal grill for cooking, but an indoor grill would work too. I used boneless chicken breasts, which I pounded slightly to make them an even thickness so they would cook more evenly. And they cooked faster which was nice since it was still 107 degrees outside! I haven't grilled much this summer with the intense heat, and some towns in our area are banning the use of outdoor grills since it is so dry here. So I may have to wait for rain before I grill again. We'll see. But this chicken was so full of flavor and I will make it often. Leftovers were fantastic in salad. There is a little bite from the red pepper, but not drastic. I served it with simple rice with some of the remaining  marinade spooned on. So delicious so I hope you'll give this a try.

Asian Barbecued Chicken

Adapted from Cooking Light

Skinless chicken thighs were used in the original recipe. I subbed boneless breasts, that I pounded slightly to make them a more uniform thickness.

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 cloves minced garlic cloves

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The original recipe uses 8 skinless thighs.

Mix together all ingredients, except chicken, in a bowl. Place chicken in a large resealable baggie and pour the marinade in with the chicken. Seal and place in refrigerator to marinate about 1-2 hours for the breasts. Bone-in chicken thighs should marinate longer, (4 hours in the recipe).

Prepare your grill, leaving a cool area to use in case you need to move the chicken to it. My grill had a temp of 350 degrees.

When fire is ready, remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking it off well before placing on the grill. Boil the remaining marinade for about 2 minutes to baste the chicken as it cooks. (The marinade is safe to use as long as it is boiled.) Grill chicken until it turns white around the edges, and then turn over to finish. Chicken is done when the juices run clear. Mine was done in 8-10 minutes, but cooking time will depend on the temp of your grill and the size of the chicken parts. Enjoy!

NOTE: I marinated the chicken breasts for about 1 1/2 hours, but my husband thought the flavors too strong, so next time I'll do an hour or so. But I loved the flavors, so I chalk it up to different palates. If you try this, let me know your thoughts on the flavors.