Grilled Chili Sesame Chicken

Chef Tylun Pang’s family recipe where sweet, umami-loaded chicken is marinated overnight, then gently grilled and crowned by a succulent sauce and toasted sesame seeds. 

This is almost the perfect summer grilling recipe. A little sweet, slightly spicy, and with a huge amount of umami flavors to back it all up. It’s a simple recipe in many ways, because all you really need to do is make the marinade (which also happens to be the sauce), leave the chicken to soak up the flavors overnight – and then throw it on the grill when your guests arrive. Just pour over the sauce after grilling, and you have yourself a summer dish that can be served with anything from grilled asparagus, leeks or tomatoes, to fried rice or baked potatoes.

Chef Tulyn Pang, the creator of the recipe, usually brings this to family events and potlucks, and is used to seeing the tray finished off in a manner of minutes. It’s just that delicious.

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How to Make Grilled Chili Sesame Chicken

Prepare the Marinade

• Mix Marinade Ingredients:
  • In a large container with a lid, combine green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, light brown sugar, water, mirin, sesame oil, and chili flakes.
• Reserve Some Marinade:
  • Before adding the chicken, reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade to use as a sauce later. Set aside.

Prepare the Chicken

• Marinate:
  • Add the chicken thighs to the container with the remaining marinade. Mix well to ensure the chicken is evenly coated.
  • Cover the container and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally for even marination.

Prepare the Sauce

• Make the Sauce:
  • In a small saucepan, bring the reserved 1/2 cup of marinade to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened.
  • Toast 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden brown. Add to the sauce and set aside.

Grill the Chicken

• Grill Chicken:
  • Preheat the grill to medium heat. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a moderate kiawe (mesquite) charcoal fire.
  • Grill the chicken thighs for about 6-7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C) and the chicken is nicely charred and cooked through.
  • If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the chicken under your oven broiler.

Serve

• Garnish and Serve:
  • Arrange the grilled chicken on a platter or individual plates.
  • Drizzle the prepared sesame sauce over the chicken.
  • Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and additional spring onions.
  • Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

• Marinade: Make sure to reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken to avoid contamination.
• Mirin Substitute: If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute it with a mix of rice vinegar and sugar (1 tablespoon of rice vinegar + 1 tablespoon of sugar = 2 tablespoons of mirin).
• Grill Alternatives: If you don’t have a grill, an oven broiler or stovetop grill pan can be used.
• Spice Level: Adjust the amount of chili flakes to your heat preference.

Grilled Chili Sesame Chicken

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Chef Tylun Pang
• Total Time: 40 minutes plus overnight marinating
• Yield: Serves 6-8 1x

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Description

Sweet, umami-loaded chicken is marinated overnight, then gently grilled and crowned by a succulent sauce and toasted sesame seeds. 

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Chicken:

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1.36 kg)

For the Marinade:

• 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions (25g)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (15g)
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger (15g)
• 1 cup soy sauce (240ml)
• 1 cup light brown sugar (200g)
• 1 cup water (240ml)
• 1 cup mirin (240ml)
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil (30ml)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tablespoon dried chili flakes (1.5 to 3g, adjust for heat preference)

For the Sauce:

• Reserved 1 cup marinade
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (9g)

For Garnishing:

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (9g)
• 1/4 cup chopped spring onion

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Instructions

Prepare the Marinade

• Mix Marinade Ingredients:
  • In a large container with a lid, combine green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, light brown sugar, water, mirin, sesame oil, and chili flakes.
• Reserve Some Marinade:
  • Before adding the chicken, reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade to use as a sauce later. Set aside.

Marinate the Chicken

• Marinate:
  • Add the chicken thighs to the container with the remaining marinade. Mix well to ensure the chicken is evenly coated.
  • Cover the container and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally for even marination.

Prepare the Sauce

• Make the Sauce:
  • In a small saucepan, bring the reserved 1/2 cup of marinade to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened.
  • Toast 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden brown. Add to the sauce and set aside.

Grill the Chicken

• Grill Chicken:
  • Preheat the grill to medium heat. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a moderate kiawe (mesquite) charcoal fire.
  • Grill the chicken thighs for about 6-7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C) and the chicken is nicely charred and cooked through.
  • If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the chicken under your oven broiler.

Serve

• Garnish and Serve:
  • Arrange the grilled chicken on a platter or individual plates.
  • Drizzle the prepared sesame sauce over the chicken.
  • Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and additional spring onions.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

• Marinade: Make sure to reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken to avoid contamination.
• Mirin Substitute: If you don’t have mirin, you can substitute it with a mix of rice vinegar and sugar (1 tablespoon of rice vinegar + 1 tablespoon of sugar = 2 tablespoons of mirin).
• Grill Alternatives: If you don’t have a grill, an oven broiler or stovetop grill pan can be used.
• Spice Level: Adjust the amount of chili flakes to your heat preference.

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Marinating Time: 12 hours
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Grilling
• Cuisine: Asian American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 5oz (150g)
• Calories: 290
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 920mg
• Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Unsaturated Fat: 11g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 11g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 25g
• Cholesterol: 110gm