Brazilian Beer-Marinated Chicken

• Recipe by Steven Raichlen

Steven Raichlen flavors this speedy chicken dish with Xingu (a Brazilian black lager that has a distinctive colalike flavor), plus mustard and onion—evoking the classic combination of beer and bratwursts. "The marinade brings a lot of flavor to a meat that really needs its," he says.

Ingredients

1. 4 garlic cloves, smashed
2. Four 1/4-inch slices of peeled fresh ginger, smashed
3. 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4. 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
5. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
6. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7. 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
8. 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
9. 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
10. 2 cups dark lager or stout, preferably Xingu Black Beer (see Note)
11. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
12. Four 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
13. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
14. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
15. Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1. In a shallow dish, mix the garlic, ginger, onion, paprika, salt, black pepper, caraway seeds, green pepper, mustard, beer and oil. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, turning a few times.
2. Light a grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill over high heat until nicely browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a platter and brush with the melted butter. Scatter the cilantro over the top and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Xingu Black Beer is an anise-scented, bittersweet black lager from Brazil. It’s available in most states.

Raichlen uses Brazilian lager in this dish, but stout is a fine substitute. Two great American stouts that will taste delicious with this chicken are the Samuel Adams Cream Stout, with its deep roasted-malt notes, and the espresso-scented Deschutes Obsidian Stout.