An Inspired Cook

I love this time of year when I can grill outdoors.  So many things to grill and everything always tastes so good.  One of my easy go to meals is grilled chicken.  This time I’m trying out a soy sauce and ginger marinade for the chicken that will pair with a fresh pineapple salsa.  Pineapple salsa brightens up grilled chicken with it’s citrusy fresh taste and looks beautiful on a plate.  This recipe will make up to six pieces of chicken.  Since it’s just Joe and I most days, I grilled what we wanted for one meal and saved the rest to grill the next.

Such a simple marinade made from soy sauce, orange juice, ginger and garlic.

I always have ginger on hand because I buy it fresh, then peel and seal in a freezer bag to put away for anytime I need it.  It’s easy to grate on a microplane grater when frozen and tastes just like fresh.  I measure by one inch pieces and used about a 1  inch piece for this marinade.

And a large clove of garlic.

To that add 1/3 cup soy sauce.

And 1/3 cup orange juice.  Stir it all together.

Pour it into a zip lock bag with 6 pieces of chicken.  We like chicken thighs but breast meat would be great too.  Let it sit in the fridge to marinate 2 hours or overnight.  I grilled half and left the other half in the fridge to grill the next day.

While the chicken is chillin in the fridge marinating, I’m going to put together my pineapple salsa.  It’s basically 2 cups of fresh pineapple diced, 3 tablespoons of diced red onion, 1 diced Fresno red pepper, and 2 tablespoons of roughly chopped cilantro.  Cover and refrigerate.

Drizzle with a little olive oil and set chicken pieces on a hot grill.  I had some blood orange olive oil from the “Tasteful Olive” that I drizzled over it to make it extra good.  I would estimate about 10 – 11 minutes on both sides for boneless thighs to cook.

After ten minutes turn them over.  Lookin good!

You’ve got a whole meal with grilled chicken, a scoop of rice and pineapple salsa.  A shout out to Joan for the pretty mosaic plate, I absolutely love it!!





Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

6 Chicken Thighs or Breast
1 inch piece of Ginger, grated on a microplane grater
1 clove Garlic, grated on a microplane grater
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Orange Juice
Olive Oil for drizzling

Pineapple Salsa

2 cups Fresh Pineapple, small dice
3 tablespoons Red Onion, small dice
1 Fresno Red Pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons Cilantro, roughly chopped

To make Pineapple Salsa combine all the ingredients and mix together.  Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to use.  Will keep 2 – 3 days.

Make marinade by combining ginger, garlic, soy sauce and orange juice together.  Place chicken pieces in a zip lock bag and pour the marinade in with the chicken.  Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.   Prepare charcoal or heat a gas grill.  Drizzle chicken with olive oil then place on hot grill.  Grill approximately 10 – 12 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Serve with pineapple salsa.

Makes 4 – 6 servings.