This grilled chicken dinner is packed with lots of flavor, texture, and protein (from animals and plants!). Chicken gets rubbed in a curry spice blend and grilled until perfectly charred and caramelized. Creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber, fresh cilantro, and edamame come together for an easy salad that pairs really well with that chicken. Top it off with some peanuts and dig in!
Ingredient highlight
Turmeric! (what gives curry powder it’s golden color) is loaded with an anti-inflammatory compound called curcumin that has shown in studies to have similar anti-inflammatory effects as ibuprofen. Curcumin is also thought to be neuroprotective, potentially reducing cognitive decline.
Make sure to add black pepper to your turmeric to help activate the curcumin.
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 10 minutes Ingredients
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 large or 2 medium cucumbers, chopped (2 cups)
- 2 avocados, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 cup edamame, thawed from frozen
- ½ cup chopped cilantro and/or mint
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup chopped peanuts, for topping
- Bulk it up! ~ Serve with a side of toast or with rice.
- Stovetop instructions! ~ You can also just cook these in a skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of oil, covered with a lid.
Instructions
- Heat your grill on high for at least 10 minutes. Scrape it clean and oil it lightly, if necessary.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the curry powder, olive oil, coconut sugar, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and use tongs to toss until each piece is well coated.
- Place the thighs on the grill and cook, covered, for about 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through with some nice grill marks and a bit of charring.
- In a medium bowl, add the onion and vinegar. If you have time, let that onion soak in the vinegar for 10 minutes (this will help soften it a bit). Add the cucumber, avocado, edamame, herbs, sesame oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat.
- Serve the chicken thighs with the salad topped with peanuts and more cilantro, if you have any. You can serve it family style with the salad spooned over top (and extra salad on the side) or in individual bowls (see both options in the photos).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Toss chicken in spices, etc…
- Thinly slice ¼ red onion (marinate in the vinegar)
- Chop 1 large cucumber (2 cups)
- Thaw 1 cup edamame
- Chop ½ cup cilantro and/or mint
- Chop 2 avocados (1 ½ cups)
- Make the salad
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian/vegan, replace the chicken with tofu (bake or pan-fry it).
- Use any other meat or protein in place of the chicken thighs.
- Use 1 cup of any type of bean in place of edamame.
- Use toasted almonds in place of peanuts or skip to make nut-free.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Chicken: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Salad: up to 4 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover chicken. Add an extra splash of vinegar and pinch of salt to the salad and toss. Serve it topped with nuts, a squeeze of lime, and more herbs.
- Serve with rice or rice noodles to bulk it up!
- Top with a boiled or fried egg or two.
- Serve it over a bed of dressed greens for more of a “salad” salad.
Servings 4 Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Ingredients
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 large or 2 medium cucumbers, chopped (2 cups)
- 2 avocados, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 cup edamame, thawed from frozen
- ½ cup chopped cilantro and/or mint
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup chopped peanuts, for topping
- Bulk it up! ~ Serve with a side of toast or with rice.
- Stovetop instructions! ~ You can also just cook these in a skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of oil, covered with a lid.
Instructions
- Heat your grill on high for at least 10 minutes. Scrape it clean and oil it lightly, if necessary.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the curry powder, olive oil, coconut sugar, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and use tongs to toss until each piece is well coated.
- Place the thighs on the grill and cook, covered, for about 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through with some nice grill marks and a bit of charring.
- In a medium bowl, add the onion and vinegar. If you have time, let that onion soak in the vinegar for 10 minutes (this will help soften it a bit). Add the cucumber, avocado, edamame, herbs, sesame oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat.
- Serve the chicken thighs with the salad topped with peanuts and more cilantro, if you have any. You can serve it family style with the salad spooned over top (and extra salad on the side) or in individual bowls (see both options in the photos).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Toss chicken in spices, etc…
- Thinly slice ¼ red onion (marinate in the vinegar)
- Chop 1 large cucumber (2 cups)
- Thaw 1 cup edamame
- Chop ½ cup cilantro and/or mint
- Chop 2 avocados (1 ½ cups)
- Make the salad
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian/vegan, replace the chicken with tofu (bake or pan-fry it).
- Use any other meat or protein in place of the chicken thighs.
- Use 1 cup of any type of bean in place of edamame.
- Use toasted almonds in place of peanuts or skip to make nut-free.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Chicken: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Salad: up to 4 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover chicken. Add an extra splash of vinegar and pinch of salt to the salad and toss. Serve it topped with nuts, a squeeze of lime, and more herbs.
- Serve with rice or rice noodles to bulk it up!
- Top with a boiled or fried egg or two.
- Serve it over a bed of dressed greens for more of a “salad” salad.
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