Sticky Chile Lime Chicken Salad

I LOVE salads!!! It doesn't matter what time of year, give me an interesting salad with a bold mix of flavours and I'm in! This is one of my all time favourites, it's sweet and salty with just enough heat to get your tastebuds humming. This recipe generously serves 4, allowing for 2 chicken thighs per person.

8          boneless chicken thighs (skin on or off)

1/8c     soy sauce

1/4c     olive oil (lime if you can find it)

1/4c     rice vinegar

1tsp     fish sauce

2         limes (skin cut off)

2         garlic cloves

1         thumb sized piece of ginger

2        garlic cloves 

1         fresh sweet red chile (optional)

Pop everything, except the chicken of course, in a blender or food processor and pulse until it becomes a smooth sauce. Remove 1/4c of the sauce and set aside to be used as the base for the salad dressing.

Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and marinate for at least an hour to as much as overnight.

While the chicken is marinating prepare your salad, this is what I like to use, but use anything that suits your tastes:

mixed baby salad greens

iceberg lettuce 

radish sprouts

alfalfa sprouts (garlic blend)

chopped green onions

diced red pepper

blueberries

To make the salad dressing whisk together:

1/4c of sauce that you set aside

1tbsp of sesame oil,

1tbsp sweet chile sauce (I like Aroy-D)

1/4c olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper if needed and feel free to add a little more oil or rice wine vinegar  to make it the acidity level you like.

To cook the Chicken:

Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook either in a non-stick skillet or on the barbecue. Sear one side of the chicken for about 5 minutes. Flip it over and pour 1tsp of sweet chile sauce over the seared side of each piece of chicken. Allow the other side to cook for 5 minutes and then flip it over and drizzle another teaspoon of chilly sauce over the second side. Allow the chicken to cook for another few minutes on each side so the sauce gets nice and sticky and the chicken reads at 165F or 75C on a meat thermometer.

Place the cooked sliced chicken onto the prepared salad and drizzle with the dressing. This is guaranteed to become a family favourite!