These Mojito grilled chicken thighs are a fun and playful riff off one of my favourite cocktails! It turns out that rum, mint and lime are also good with chicken!
We have been so blessed with a bout of lovely weather lately, and here in England we do not take it for granted!
So we’ve been spending as much time outside as humanly possible, granted we still have to do work and go to school. But as soon as that’s over, we go for walks, read in the sun and even cook and eat outside because we CAN!
When we used to live on Vancouver Island, we practically lived outdoors. I don’t remember my back door ever closing and the kids treated our back yard as an extension to the house.
In the summer and large portions of spring and autumn our grill was the hardest working appliance in the house! Everything went on it!!
We never planned to change our lifestyle when we moved to the UK but the infamous British weather coupled with high charcoal prices made grilling a bit of a special occasion. But what a special occasion that is! Kids get excited and therefore are in the best mood, which make parents very, very happy!
Plus let’s not forget the delicious food that comes off the grill! Burgers are definitely something that we all love but I personally prefer grilled chicken and not the breast.
I find chicken breasts get the tendency to dry out very quickly when cooked over high heat of the barbecue. I favour grilled chicken thighs, especially if they were previously marinated in herbs and spices of any kind.
These mojito grilled chicken thighs came out of that line of thinking. Why not take a famous cocktail and turn the ingredients into an easy marinade for chicken thighs?
In fact I stayed pretty close to the original mojito recipe. I used rum, mint and lime juice just like in the cocktail, replaced sugar with salt and added some garlic for extra zing!
I also brushed my grilled chicken thighs with freshly made mojito salsa to bring back the vibrancy of the mint and lime after cooking.
Let me tell you, this recipe is absolutely ideal for a summer barbecue. It’s non-fussy because who wants to spend hours in the kitchen when it’s so lovely outside but tastes like you added extra love and care!
Enjoy these grilled chicken thighs with my Passion Fruit Mojito or Mango Mojito! Or make both if you are having a party!
Ingredients
For the Mojito Marinade
- 2 tbsp chopped mint fresh
- 3 limes zest and juice
- ¼ cup/60ml white rum
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 lbs chicken thighs with skin and bone in
For the Mojito Salsa
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ lime juice only
- 1 tbsp chopped mint fresh
Instructions
- In a large ziplock bag combine all ingredients for the mojito marinade, add chicken thighs, close the bag and make sure all chicken pieces are evenly coated. Alternatively this could be down in a large bowl.Marinade in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight, turn the bag over once an hour if possible.
- Preheat the grill and put the chicken thighs skin side down on the grill, cook on one side for 10-15 minutes depending on the size, then turn over and cook for 5-10 minutes longer.
- Mix the minced garlic, chopped mint and lime juice in a small bowl. Brush grilled chicken thighs with the mojito salsa as soon as they are done.
erin brandt says
This chicken was so good. Not dry, crispy skin and great flavor!
vikalinka says
I loved playing with summer flavours here. So happy you enjoyed it!
Judith Kaiser says
Hi, Ana I baje the monitor chicken and if so what temperature and for how long.
vikalinka says
Hi Judith, I am sorry I am not sure about your question. Are you asking about the internal temperature of the chicken when done? It should register at 180F/82C if using meat thermometer. The grilling times are given in the recipe card. 🙂
Mary says
Are you asking for oven cooking instructions?
I assume you’d bake 45 minutes at 350F, then crisp it up under a broiler.