Grilled Chicken Thighs with Maple-Mustard Marinade
A pinch of ground allspice adds interest to a not-too-sweet maple and mustard concoction inspired by chef Brendan Collins. The simple sauce does double duty as a dressing for salad and as a marinade for chicken thighs — just reserve a little bit of the sauce for adding effortless pizzazz to a quick salad, and use the rest of it as a marinade to give chicken thighs a lacquered shine and deep flavor. The recipe is for grilled chicken thighs — see the note at the end of the recipe for how to prepare them in the oven.
Pepper Jelly–Glazed Chicken Thighs with Grilled Peppers
Sweet, spicy, and sticky pepper jelly–glazed chicken thighs pair perfectly with grilled shishito peppers, Anaheim chiles, and scallions. Grilled limes squeezed over the cooked chicken add smoky acidity to the dish. Serve the chicken and vegetables with rice for a simple dinner.
Chicken, Mango, and Piña Skewers
These colorful and flavorful skewers by Paola Velez feature seasoned chicken, mango, pineapple, red and green bell peppers, and onion. If you use bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in warm water so they don't burn in the oven. If you're in the market for metal skewers, look for flat ones, not round. They'll hold the food in place when you turn them over.
Chicken Tikka Kebabs
The Kashmiri red chile powder used to season the chicken in these kebabs from chef Chintan Pandya gives them a mild, warm heat. The yogurt marinade ensures that the chicken thighs are juicy and tender when they emerge from the oven, and a quick baste with melted butter makes the dish especially rich. If you can't find ginger-garlic paste in the market, combine equal parts garlic cloves and chopped ginger in a small food processor or blender and blend until smooth, adding a splash of water so the mixture forms a paste.
Chicken Lule Kebab
The ground beef lule kebab recipe at Mini Kabob is a Martirosyan family secret, but they were willing to share their equally delicious chicken version. Freshly grinding chicken thighs with lamb fat gives these kebabs a rich, savory flavor and juicy, tender texture. The restaurant grinds all the meat in-house, and you can, too, with a grinder. (We like the KitchenAid meat grinder attachment.) Or ask your butcher. If you don't have a meat grinder, no problem: The F&W test kitchen developed an alternative (and less rich) version you can make using pre-ground meat (see Note). See How to Make Kebabs on the Grill to see the Martirosyan family's detailed step by step instructions for making the Chicken Lule Kebabs and other kebabs.
Charred Chile–Marinated Grilled Chicken Tacos
To help build deep layers of flavor in these tacos, Fermín Núñez begins his marinade by toasting and charring aromatics: dried chiles, cinnamon, allspice, and onions all hit the heat before soaking with juicy chicken thighs for an hour, imparting smoky flavor before they cook quickly on the grill or in the oven (see Note). Pair them with fresh tomatillo salsa cruda for a next-level taco night.
