Vietnamese Grilled Chicken

From EatingWell: July/August 1996, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

Meaty chicken thighs are well suited to this intensely flavored Vietnamese marinade.

4 servings

Active Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (including marinating time)

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1/4 cup lime juice, (2 limes)
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 bone-in chicken legs, (about 2 1/2 pounds total), skin and fat removed, cut in half through the joint
1 1/2 cups Papaya Relish, (recipe follows)

Preparation

Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, peppers, sugar and oil in a small bowl. Pour about half of this marinade into a shallow glass dish and reserve the remainder for basting. Add chicken pieces to the dish and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Meanwhile, make Papaya Relish. Preheat grill to medium-high.
Oil the grill rack. Grill the chicken, covered, turning several times and basting the browned sides with the reserved marinade, until well browned but not charred, and no longer pink inside, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with Papaya Relish.

Nutrition

Per serving: 253 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 104 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 1 g fiber; 544 mg sodium; 343 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (26% daily value), Zinc (19% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 3 1/2 lean meat, 1/2 fat