“Al Fuego” Grilled Chicken Thighs with Mango Chorizo Sauce and Plantain Fries
When I was young, my grandmother would make crispy little potato fries for me when she made my favorite steak. I remembering always eating my steak first and saving the little fries for a crunchy finale to my meal! For this recipe, instead of using potatoes to make my fries, I use green plantain instead. Not only does it give a Caribbean flair, it adds just the right amount of texture.This grilling recipe uses the grill 3 ways- to grill the mango, chicken, and to fry the crispy plantain shoetstring fries. While it has several steps, each step is easy to prepare and layers a fusion of flavor! It combines mangoes and Cotija cheese from the Caribbean, chorizo from Spain, and Asian sweet chili and hoisin sauces. I think my grandmother would have really liked it, and who knows, she may have saved the little plantain fries for the end of her meal too!
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning to preference, divided
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 4 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, plus more for frying plantains, divided
- 1 green plantain
- 2 large ripe mangoes, peeled, cheeks sliced off
- 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
- 1 -1/2 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon Asian sweet chili sauce
- 3-5 Tablespoon water, as needed
- 1 small smoked Spanish dry cured chorizo (about 1.5 ounces)
- 2/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup crumbled Cotija cheese or Feta cheese
- Grilled green onions, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat gas grill to medium high heat. If grill has a side burner, preheat to medium high heat.
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, chipotle chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt or to preference. Rub onto both sides of chicken. Drizzle chicken with 2 tablespoons oil. Cover; set aside.
- In a medium fire-proof deep skillet or deep cast iron pan, on grill side burner or on grill rack, add canola oil to cover bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides. Peel plantain; grate with a coarse grater. With a paper towel, blot plantains to remove as much moisture as possible. When oil is very hot, carefully sprinkle plantain into oil, separating pieces. Cook, 1-2 minutes or until light golden brown. Transfer to paper-lined plate. Season with salt. Set aside.
- Drizzle mango pieces with 2 tablespoons canola oil. Grill mango 2-3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Add grilled mango, garlic, lime juice, and chili sauce to food processor. Process until smooth. (Add water as needed to thin out sauce.) Coarsely chop chorizo; add to food processor. Pulse several times to chop into small pieces, but not completely pureed. Season with salt to preference. Set aside.
- Place chicken on grill rack. Grill chicken, flipping once, about 3-5 minutes per side or until chicken is no longer pink. During final few minutes of grilling, brush chicken with hoisin on both sides. Drizzle lightly with any remaining hoisin sauce.
- To serve, spoon some of the mango sauce onto a large platter. Arrange chicken over sauce. Sprinkle chicken with cilantro, cheese, and plantain fries. Spoon remaining mango sauce into a small bowl. If desired, serve with grilled green onions.
Notes
Green plantains contain more starch and less sugar than the yellow bananas. Most supermarkets have them in stock, but you can also find them in a Latin market.
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