I’ve definitely been in a mood to grill the past few weeks, with all the warm weather we’ve been blessed with. This recipe was one I had bookmarked for a few months before I finally got around to giving it a try. It turned out absolutely delicious, so moist and flavorful!
It’s best when marinated overnight, but if you put it in before you went to work for the day – then grilled it when you got home, I think 8 hours would probably do a pretty good job as well. Some of my favorite ingredients go into the marinade – soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and pineapple juice meld together to create a perfect harmony of flavors for the chicken.
Then, there’s the coconut rice…which, couldn’t be easier. You’re basic recipe for rice, but you substitute 1 cup of coconut milk for 1 cup of the water. The coconut flavor isn’t overwhelming, but just enough to really set off the tropical flavors in the chicken.
We all really loved this one. I went ahead and grilled more chicken than we needed for dinner that night, as I knew the leftovers would be absolutely divine in some chicken salad. Which, they were. Instead of my usual dried cranberries I added a little bit of fresh diced pineapple for a Hawaiian spin. So delish, and perfect for summer!
Hawaiian Chicken & Coconut Rice
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 2 lbs of boneless thighs)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp of sesame oil
For the coconut rice:
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cup water
Combine soy sauce, pineapple juice, water, brown sugar, scallions, garlic, and sesame oil in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces to the bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal. Squish around to coat the chicken in the marinade well. Place in the refrigerator and marinade for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill for about 5-7 minutes per-side, watching to make sure chicken doesn’t get too charred. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan.
To prepare the rice, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice, and cook for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Carefully pour in the coconut milk and water, stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir once more and re-cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 18 minutes. Remove lid and fluff rice with fork.
Serve the chicken on a bed of the coconut rice. Garnish with additional scallions if desired.
Source: adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything