Gingery Grilled Chicken Thighs With Charred Peaches

Published July 1, 2020

Gingery Grilled Chicken Thighs With Charred Peaches
Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell.
Total Time
45 minutes, plus marinating
Rating
5(2,282)
Comments
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Coated in a balsamic vinegar glaze that’s spiked with ginger, garlic and soy sauce, these chicken thighs are sweet-tart and irresistibly sticky. They’re served with grilled thyme and honey butter-basted peaches, which become soft and wonderfully jammy on the fire. The yogurt is optional. It adds a cool and creamy counterpart to the char and smoke, but the dish is just as satisfying without it.

Featured in: How to Host a Socially Distanced Barbecue

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

    For the Chicken

    • 5tablespoons balsamic vinegar (preferably the good, syrupy kind)
    • 2tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger and any ginger juice from a 2-inch piece
    • Kosher salt
    • pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
    • 8fresh thyme sprigs, or 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
    • 3garlic cloves, finely grated or mashed to a paste
    • 2tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1teaspoon fresh lime juice, plus more as needed
    • Olive oil, for brushing
    • Plain whole-milk yogurt, for serving (optional)
    • 3scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced (optional)
    • Handful of torn fresh basil (optional)

    For the Peaches

    • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    • 1tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
    • 1teaspoon honey
    • 3 to 4ripe peaches or nectarines, halved and pitted
    • Flaky sea salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

379 calories; 17 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 772 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Marinate the chicken: In a small bowl, mix together balsamic vinegar, grated ginger and a pinch of salt.

  2. Step 2

    Season chicken all over with salt, and put it in a larger bowl or resealable bag. Add 2 tablespoons of the balsamic mixture. (Give it a stir before measuring in case any of the ginger has fallen to the bottom. Save remaining balsamic for serving.) Add the thyme, garlic, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon lime juice. Cover bowl or close bag, and let chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

  3. Step 3

    Light the grill or heat the broiler, arranging the rack about 4 inches from the heat source.

  4. Step 4

    Prepare the peaches: In a bowl, combine butter, thyme and honey. Brush peaches lightly with butter mixture and place in a grilling basket, if you have one, or directly on the grill. Grill over direct heat until just charred, 2 to 4 minutes per side. You’ll know they are done when the skin curls back and the flesh starts to melt. Transfer to a serving platter or plates, and, if you like, drizzle with a little more of the butter mixture and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

  5. Step 5

    If there’s room on the grill, cook the chicken at the same time (or wait until peaches are done). Brush off any clinging pieces of marinade from chicken, pat it dry, and coat lightly with oil. Grill or broil until charred and browned, 4 to 6 minutes per side.

  6. Step 6

    Transfer chicken to a platter or serving plates, along with the peaches. Serve with dollops of yogurt on the side if you like, and a drizzle with some of the remaining gingery balsamic and a little more olive oil. Scatter with scallions and basil, if using, for garnish.

Ratings

5 out of 5
2,282 user ratings
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Comments

Use the peaches for dessert. After grilling the skins should easily slip off. Place peach half in a sundae dish, grilled side up, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. HEAVEN.

Made this tonight and it is a winner. The one observation is that I wound up with extra of both the chicken marinade and the peach sauce. You could probably cut them both in half without a problem. The yogurt is a great accompaniment. Didn't try adding basil - perhaps would try with Thai Basil if I had some around. The peaches pair excellently with the chicken. Go ahead and use them as the recipe suggests. You can grill them for dessert with vanilla ice cream another time.

I live in an apartment with no grill so I cooked the peaches, cut-side down first, on the stovetop in a really hot, dry cast iron grill pan, turning the peaches with tongs after I got grill marks - give them a wiggle and they'll easily lift - about 4 minutes (riper ones might take less time), then skin side down until tender and the skin loosened. I separately broiled the chicken, also about 4 minutes a side, until I got a little char on the edges. This is a great recipe with terrific flavor!

Huge hit with our guests and it looks and tastes far more expensive than it was! :)

This was a home run. Served with rice. My late season peaches were underripe but the grilling brought out the sugars and they were delicious.

I was a bit suspect of this recipe but decided to give it a try. Followed the recipe exactly and it was wonderful. Using the good balsamic added a nice sweetness. It was different, but not different enough to turn off non adventurous diners. We loved it.

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