Sunny’s Grilled Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs and Rice

Ingredients

Marinade:

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1 cup Jamaican jerk sauce, such as Food Network Kitchen Inspirations Jamaican Style Jerk Cooking Sauce 

Rice:

2 cups raw white rice

3 1/2 cups chicken stock 

1/2 cup Jamaican jerk sauce, such as Food Network Kitchen Inspirations Jamaican Style Jerk Cooking Sauce 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp 

2 sprigs fresh thyme 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

Skewers:

Four 1/2-inch-thick red onion slices, rings intact

1 cup Jamaican jerk sauce, such as Food Network Kitchen Inspirations Jamaican Style Jerk Cooking Sauce 

Directions

Special equipment:

 a rice cooker; 16 metal skewers

  1. For the marinade: Place a chicken thigh on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and gently pound to even out the thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides and place in a bowl or resealable bag. Repeat with remaining thighs. Add the Jamaican jerk sauce and mix to coat the chicken evenly. Let marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.
  2. For the rice: Add the rice, chicken stock, Jamaican jerk sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, thyme, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper to a rice cooker. Cook rice according to rice cooker instructions.
  3. For the skewers: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Thread 2 skewers on either edge of a chicken thigh, then add an onion followed by another thigh (so the chicken and onions lay flat, not stacked). Repeat with remaining chicken and onions. Place skewers on grill pan and cook 5 minutes, then flip, brush with Jamaican jerk sauce and dome with a large metal bowl. Cook on second side until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool slightly before removing skewers.
  4. To serve: Chop the onions. Fluff rice and stir in onions and chopped parsley. Serve with chicken.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

PREP TIME 5 MIN COOK TIME 25 MIN TOTAL TIME 30 MIN SERVINGS 4 PEOPLE

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to even thickness less than 1 inch
  • 1 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce divided
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • chopped green onions and steamed rice, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Arrange chicken in a single layer in the baking dish. 
  2. In a medium sauce pan over high heat combine 1 cup soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, ginger, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. 
  3. Once sauce is boiling, whisk together remaining 1/3 cup soy sauce and corn starch until dissolved and stir mixture into boiling sauce. Stir 1-2 minutes until sauce is thickened. 
  4. Remove from heat, stir in sesame seeds, and pour half of the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Reserve the remaining sauce for later. Use a fork or tongs to turn chicken over a couple of times to coat in the sauce.
  5. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 20-25 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through. Drain excess liquid from the baking dish and pour remaining sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped green onions and additional sesame seeds and serve over rice as desired. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts w/Creamy Mustard Leek Sauce

Serves 2 to 4 peoplePrep time: 20 min Cook time: 2 hrs 45 min

For the Marinade:

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for the slow cooker
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely minced
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the Slow Cooker:

  • 1 shallot, finely minced
  • 1 leek, trimmed and cleaned, cut into thin half moons
  • 3/4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 12 ounces egg noodles
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 handful fresh chives, finely chopped
  1. To make the marinade, add all the marinade ingredients except the chicken to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Nestle the chicken in the marinade. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.
  2. Add the shallot and leek to the slow cooker, along with a pinch of salt. Add the chicken stock and cornstarch to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. Make sure the cornstarch is dissolved in the chicken stock with no lumps. Add the mustard, white wine, and heavy cream, stirring once more to combine everything.
  3. Add the marinated chicken to the slow cooker, discarding any excess marinade. If some marinade and herbs are clinging to the chicken when you add it to the slow cooker, that’s fine. Set the slow cooker to low, and cook for 2 1/2 hours. When about 2 hours have passed, boil water in a large pot and cook the egg noodles according to the directions on the package. Toss the cooked egg noodles with butter and set aside.
  4. After 2 1/2 hours, check to see if the chicken is fully cooked. If it’s less than 165°F at its thickest point, continue cooking. Check the chicken every 15 minutes until it’s fully cooked.
  5. When the chicken is fully cooked, transfer it to a cutting board and slice it into medallions. Taste the sauce in the slow cooker. Add more salt as needed.
  6. To serve, arrange some chicken atop a portion of egg noodles. Top with sauce. Garnish with chives.