It’s Friday night! The world is feeling festive, relaxed, and joyous! It’s time for a dinner that really says, “the weekend is here!” That’s Friday Night Chicken, no doubt about it! The chicken is brushed with a spicy, sweet, and fragrant herb paste that helps infuse the flavor throughout the meat and then grilled to peak juiciness! The real question is whether you’ll actually save Friday Night Chicken for just Friday nights… or if you’ll be making it every night instead!
Ingredients
- 5 plump lemongrass stalks, inner bulb only, coarsely chopped
- 3 scallions, white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, smashed
- 1 large jalapeño, chopped
- sugar, to taste
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more, to taste, for brushing
- salt, to taste
- ground pepper, to taste
- 4 pounds chicken thighs and breasts, skinless and boneless
Directions
Step 1 –In a food processor, pulse the lemongrass until finely chopped.
Step 2 –Add the scallions, the garlic, the jalapeño, and the sugar to the lemongrass and pulse until finely chopped.
Step 3 –With the machine on, add 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil in a steady stream to the scallion mixture and process to a fine paste.
Step 4 –Season the paste with the salt and the pepper.
Step 5 –Use a small, sharp knife to make 1/2-inch-deep slashes into the chicken and rub the paste all over, working it into the slashes.
Step 6 –Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate overnight.
Step 7 –Light a grill and preheat it to medium heat.
Step 8 –Brush the chicken with the extra oil and season it with the salt and the pepper.
Step 9 –Grill the chicken, turning occasionally, until it is browned and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
Step 10 –Serve.
