Grilled Chicken Thighs with Tamarind & Orange Glaze Recipe

Jun 7, 2010 by Dara 30 Comments

On a recent trip to our local Asian market, I nearly walked out the store with some rather esoteric ingredients, at least by North American standards. My 6-year-old son and I were there to restock our supplies of oyster sauce (for Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry), hoisin sauce (for Braised Country Style Pork Ribs in Ginger Ale & Hoisin Sauce), and fish sauce (for Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken). As we wandered the aisles, looking at the novel ingredients and filling our cart with lemongrass, baby bok choy, and tamarind paste, I became enraptured by all of the miso choices. The next thing I knew, my son had thrown a few choice items into our cart: lily root, dried jellyfish, and a couple of things I hesitated to identify. Perhaps someday this little guy, who happens to have a very adventurous palate and a sense of smell keener than a bloodhound, will teach me what to do with these ingredients.

While chicken breasts are a popular choice for grilling, we often turn to the moist thigh meat for a quick and satisfying meal. I made (minor) adaptations to this recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine (and originally from Huggo’s in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii). While the chicken is marinating in a mixture of olive oil, fresh basil, and garlic, the glaze is reduced to a sweet, slightly spicy sauce, filled with flavors of orange, tamarind, and ginger. The fruit of the tamarind, both sweet and sour, is encased in a hard, brown pod and requires a significant amount of work to extract. Luckily, tamarind is also sold as a paste or in a block and is available in most Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern markets. You may think that you have never tried tamarind, but it is a key ingredient in a common condiment – Worcestershire sauce.

The recipe:

The chicken:

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, 1 large clove garlic, minced, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Add 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs to the marinade and mix until the chicken is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 6 hours, turning occasionally.

The glaze:

In a large saucepan, whisk together 2 cans (14 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth, 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate (paste), 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, and 1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger.

Tamarind concentrate (also called tamarind paste) can be found in most Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern markets.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup and the glaze coats the back of a metal spoon, 25 to 30 minutes. The glaze should remain at a vigorous boil for the entire time to ensure quick reduction. Remove from the heat and add several drops sriracha sauce, as well as salt and pepper, to taste.

The glaze can be made up to 2 days in advance; cover and keep store in the refrigerator. Gently reheat before using.

Spray grill with nonstick cooking spray. Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Pour 1/4 cup glaze into a small bowl. This will be used for basting. Reserve the rest of the glaze. Transfer the chicken to the grill and discard the marinade. Grill until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, basting with the glaze on both sides of the chicken.

Spoon the reserved glaze over the chicken and serve with rice.