Name: Sambal Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1-2 tbs boneless skinless chicken thigh (Any kind of chicken will work, but you may have to adjust cooking time); 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce; 2 tbsp sambal oelek (This will be spicy, but not fiery. If you are sensitive to spice, reduce to 1 tbsp.); 3 tsp brown sugar; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp ginger paste or freshly ground ginger

Jump to Recipe

There’s nothing that quite captures my cooking approach (minimum input with maximum output) like a quick and dirty marinade. There’s zero chance I’m thinking about marinating tomorrow’s chicken today, so I need something flavorful enough to get the job done quickly. And by quickly, I mean an hour or less.

This where Sambal Chicken Thighs come in. This marinade has 5 ingredients, all of which pack a punch. So no need to plan ahead – just throw the ingredients together when you get home from work and pour yourself a glass of wine. By the time you’ve changed clothes and checked out my new insta (shameless plug!), your chicken will be ready for the grill.

While any type of chicken will work, thighs are a very forgiving, so you don’t have to be experienced in the kitchen to cook them well. Plus, thighs are dirt cheap in comparison to breasts. Win-win.

I served this chicken with my Smashed Asian Cucumber Salad. It was a quick, flavorful, no-leftovers kind of dinner.

Psst – check out some of my other favorite marinades:

Sambal Chicken Thighs

Spicy, addicting and super easy, this 5-ingredient sambal chicken recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners or a lazy Sunday BBQ. Throw together the simple marinade, and let the bold flavors do all the work.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Marinate 1 hour

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

1-2 tbs boneless skinless chicken thigh Any kind of chicken will work, but you may have to adjust cooking time
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp sambal oelek This will be spicy, but not fiery. If you are sensitive to spice, reduce to 1 tbsp.
3 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger paste or freshly ground ginger

Instructions

In a large bowl or freezer bag, thoroughly mix all ingredients other than the chicken. You can give it a quick taste and adjust as necessary, but remember that it will not taste quite as strong after being cooked.
Add the chicken and let marinate for ~an hour. Feel free to marinate overnight, but you seriously don't need to let this one sit in order to get great results.
Preheat the grill to high heat. Shake off excess marinade, and grill 6-8 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!