Beer Marinated Chicken Thighs

The idea of beer and chicken is not a new one. We’ve all been to barbecues with a chicken being cooked in a kettle braai while resting on a can of beer or braai masters generously dousing chicken on the grill with some beer they are drinking and this Beer Marinated Chicken Thighs is my spin on it.

The idea with this recipe was to amplify the flavour of the beer and to achieve that I marinated it for a few hours in a good quality local craft beer. You need a beer with a good flavour profile like an Amber Ale for instance. I would not marinate the chicken for longer than 2 hours as you do not want the beer to overpower the flavour of the meat. I deboned the thighs out of personal preference, they make a delicious bite as they come off the barbecue but leave the bone in if you prefer. You can also replace the thighs with drumsticks or breast but I would debone the breast and flatten it slightly before marinating and cooking it.

I am off to Denmark on Tuesday to attend the 3rd FoodPhoto Festival in Vejle. It is a 3 day food photography festival consisting of a conference, workshops, an exhibition as well as the opportunity for portfolio reviews with various agencies and publishers.  I am finally happy with my portfolio I want to present and I can’t wait to get there, learn from the professionals and to meet fellow photographers and stylists from all over the world. After the festival I am heading to Copenhagen for a few days to eat (of course) and explore as much as possible. Do follow along on Instagram and Facebook as I will be posting regular updates.

Beer Marinated Chicken Thighs

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Ingredients

  

• 8 chicken thighs deboned, skin on
• Salt to season
• Marinade:
• 1 cup local craft beer with a good flavour like an Amber Ale
• 2 cloves garlic bashed
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp rosemary leaves roughly chopped
• Coarse black pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Mix all the marinade ingredients and pour over the thighs and leave to marinade for an hour or two
• Place the thighs on the grill, season with some salt and barbecue over medium coals
• Baste with the marinade and turn regularly until cooked through
• Rest for a few minutes and serve

 ** This recipe first appeared in the Sunday Times Food Weekly