Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken

Hey guys, did you know that Monday is Memorial Day?!! I had absolutely no idea. Holidays often have a way of sneaking up on me, but this is too much. Can’t believe we are this deep into May and that summer is almost here! That’s one thing to be joyful about, right?

And even though we can’t quite celebrate as we have in years past, it doesn’t mean we can’t party at all!

Enter this absolutely delicious and very summery-feeling Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken. If you’re looking for something new and super easy to throw on the grill, I think I’ve got you covered.

I never thought to use peanut butter in a marinade but now that I think about it, it makes so much sense. For years, I’ve loved dunking chicken into peanut sauce, so why not actually use it to flavor the chicken before cooking? Most of us always have a jar of peanut butter on hand, which makes it particularly good during these grocery challenged times. Here it’s paired with other goodies like lime zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh garlic, brown sugar and olive oil to create an Asian-style marinade that gives the chicken that perfect peanutty sweet and tangy taste!

Make this once and I guarantee you’ll be making it all summer long!!

And if you’re looking for a way to improve your grilling skills and general barbecue knowledge, check out this amazingly comprehensive guide from my friends at BBQHost. It’s chock full of everything you need to know to make your grilling experiences the absolute best they can be!

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Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep Time for marinade: 5 minutes, plus at least 8 hours for chicken to marinate and preferably overnight; Grill Time: About 20 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken and heat of grill

Ingredients

• 2-2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

• ¼ cup peanut butter (not natural)

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Zest of 1 lime

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• Chopped peanuts for serving, optional (I thought I had some in the house but actually didn’t and couldn’t just run out to get them but they would be nice to sprinkle on the cooked chicken)

The Recipe

1. Place the chicken in a resealable bag or shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, brown sugar, oil, lime zest and garlic. Pour the mixture over the chicken and coat well. Seal bag or cover the pan and place in fridge for at least 8 hours and preferably overnight.

2. Remove chicken from fridge about 30 minutes before grilling so it’s not so cold. Discard marinade. Preheat grill and oil grill grates. Cook chicken, turning, until done. Serve immediately, topping with chopped peanuts if using.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Skippy. I used more peanut butter, used regular flavored soy sauce instead of ginger, increased the lime zest and used breasts instead of thighs.