Though there are few things more satisfying than grilled, juicy chicken thighs, the star of this dish is what tops it—a spicy, green chili crisp. While chili crisp is traditionally made with warming spices like star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns, this iteration is a summery, fresh take featuring jalapeños and scallions. The beauty of this green chili crisp is you can double the recipe (you’ll want to) for a condiment to use throughout the week. Top your fried eggs with it, serve it alongside flaky salmon, or mix it into some fried rice.
Recipe information
Total Time
50 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Chicken
Chili Crisp and Assembly
Preparation
Chicken
Step 1
Stir 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. light or dark brown sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add 1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs toss to coat. Let sit 30 minutes.
Chili Crisp and Assembly
Step 2
While chicken is marinating, combine 2 jalapeños, finely chopped, and one 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, in a medium bowl and set a fine-mesh sieve over bowl. Set aside.
Step 3
Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Add 2 shallots, halved through root ends, thinly sliced crosswise, and cook, stirring often, until golden, 5–7 minutes. Add 4 scallions, thinly sliced, 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Pour through reserved sieve into bowl. Let shallot mixture in sieve cool, tossing occasionally, to keep crisp.
Step 4
Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off); oil grate. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess, and place over direct heat. Grill, turning halfway through and moving thighs to cooler side of grill if browning too quickly, until deeply browned in spots and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let rest 5–10 minutes.
Step 5
Stir shallot mixture into oil mixture in bowl, then stir in 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. granulated sugar, and 1 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar. Spoon green chili crisp over chicken thighs and serve with rice alongside.
