Skip to main content

Grilled Chicken With Green Chili Crisp

Chopped jalapeños ginger shallots garlic scallions and peanuts drizzled over grilled chicken thighs.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Leslie Raney Garetto

Though there are few things more satisfying than grilled, juicy chicken thighs, the star of this dish is what tops it—a spicy, green chili crisp. While chili crisp is traditionally made with warming spices like star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns, this iteration is a summery, fresh take featuring jalapeños and scallions. The beauty of this green chili crisp is you can double the recipe (you’ll want to) for a condiment to use throughout the week. Top your fried eggs with it, serve it alongside flaky salmon, or mix it into some fried rice.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    50 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

Chicken

2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Chili Crisp and Assembly

2 jalapeños, finely chopped
1 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
½ cup vegetable oil, plus more for grill
2 shallots, halved through root ends, thinly sliced crosswise
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
Steamed white rice (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Chicken

    Step 1

    Stir 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. light or dark brown sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add 1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs toss to coat. Let sit 30 minutes.

  2. Chili Crisp and Assembly

    Step 2

    While chicken is marinating, combine 2 jalapeños, finely chopped, and one 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, in a medium bowl and set a fine-mesh sieve over bowl. Set aside.

    Step 3

    Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Add 2 shallots, halved through root ends, thinly sliced crosswise, and cook, stirring often, until golden, 5–7 minutes. Add 4 scallions, thinly sliced, 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Pour through reserved sieve into bowl. Let shallot mixture in sieve cool, tossing occasionally, to keep crisp.

    Step 4

    Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off); oil grate. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess, and place over direct heat. Grill, turning halfway through and moving thighs to cooler side of grill if browning too quickly, until deeply browned in spots and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let rest 5–10 minutes.

    Step 5

    Stir shallot mixture into oil mixture in bowl, then stir in 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. granulated sugar, and 1 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar. Spoon green chili crisp over chicken thighs and serve with rice alongside.

Read More
Braise tender pork belly in soy and vinegar, then grill with shishito peppers and toss with ginger and a tangy dressing for bold, savory Filipino dinakdakan.
Chicken pieces and meaty bits of torn mushrooms beautifully team up in this deeply savory, scallion-studded, easy-to-make stir-fry.
Savory cashew chicken meets tender asparagus in this lightning-fast dinner.
Spiced chicken, charred peppers, and gooey cheese—these never-soggy quesadillas are a favorite for a reason.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken legs glossed in a sticky honey mustard glaze strike the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and delightfully savory.
Bouncy rice cakes turn this spicy Korean classic into a perfect weeknight dinner.
Charred chicken breasts coated in a tangy dry rub sit atop a fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumber, and onions.
Chicken thighs cooked inside parchment packets alongside onions and oranges makes for a flavorful dinner that’s almost entirely hands off.