Upgrade your weeknight chicken dinner with these tender and juicy chicken breasts coated in a sticky, slightly sweet Asian sauce then crisped up on the grill for an easy summer meal that’s full of flavor and ready in less than 30 minutes.
product samples provided by Erath Winery. all thoughts and opinions are all my own
I’m a huge fan of grilling in the summertime – it’s so easy and keeps you from having to heat up your kitchen on a hot, steamy day. Chicken is so easy to grill – you can literally just add a little olive oil, salt and pepper and toss it on the grill. Dinner is ready in a flash….but that can get a little boring night after night so I have been working on ways to “dress up” chicken and make it a bit more interesting. This sticky Asian grilled chicken has become one of my new weeknight favorites!
You have probably noticed that I’m a fan of recipes with an Asian flare. Soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sweet chili sauce…..they all add lots of flavor to a dish and are available at just about any grocery store these days. Making a quick sauce with a few of these ingredients is a great way to spice up chicken, fish or even your lunchtime salad. In this dish the combination of the crunchy, savory slaw with the creamy dressing and the Asian-inspired grilled chicken is a real winner!
I use a bagged slaw mix for this recipe to keep it really quick and easy. I find it’s easier than buying the two kinds of cabbage and the carrots and then taking the time to cut them up. You can toss any leftovers into a salad later in the week or make an extra serving of the creamy dressing and serve the slaw as a side dish with some grilled brats or burgers later in the week!
Wine Pairing Notes
If you want to include a bit of wine to your meal this Pinot Gris from Erath Winery is the perfect pairing for this dish. With hints of melon, it has a slightly sweet note that is a great balance with the Asian flavors in this dish. At $14 per bottle, this is an excellent choice for a weeknight dinner wine!
THINGS YOU MAY WANT FOR THIS RECIPE
Bagged Coleslaw Mix – You can certainly chop purple and green cabbage and throw in some carrots but for this recipe, I prefer using a bagged coleslaw mix. There are a number of different varieties on the market and the ones I’ve tried are all very good. It makes your life a little easier and you can use any leftovers in your salads later in the week.
Sticky Asian Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- ⅛ teaspoon hot sauce, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
For the coleslaw:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
- ½ tablespoon light sour cream
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- pinch of ground ginger
- 2 cups coleslaw mix
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix the soy sauce, peanut butter, sugar, vinegar, garlic, oil, hot sauce and pepper. Stir with a fork until the peanut butter is incorporated. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the sauce for serving.
- Add the chicken and the remaining sauce to a zip-top plastic bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (since this is not an acidic marinade you can leave it longer if you want).
- While the chicken is marinating preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 450°F).
- Grill the chicken for 6 minutes per side or until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. Remove the chicken from the grill.
- While the chicken is grilling mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, lime juice, oil and ginger in a small mixing bowl. Add the coleslaw mixture and toss to coat.
- To serve, divide the coleslaw mixture between two plates. Top each salad with a chicken breast. Drizzle some of the reserved sauce over the top and serve immediately.
Nutrition
We grill all summer long, but plain or BBQ chicken gets a little boring by the time the end of summer rolls around. I can’t wait to give this a try next week!
Enjoy – I’d love to hear turns out!