Mango Cilantro Chicken

The sauce for this chicken is so scrumptious that I caught my husband eating it by the spoonful! It’s also versatile since it’s great on pork and fish too. Sometimes a weeknight cook’s best tool is a flavor-packed sauce that is easy to make and works with many dishes. My family is a bunch of wimps when it comes to hot sauce, so we make ours with only 1/2 tsp, but feel free to add as much as you like. It really adds a wonderful depth of flavor that enhances the sweet mango and the bite of the ginger. You can also grill the chicken, which is our summertime method of choice.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

1 mango, peeled, pit removed, and chopped
½ cup loosely packed cilantro
1 small shallot, cut in half
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup coconut milk
1 TBSP coconut vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP lime juice
2 TBSP olive oil
Your favorite hot sauce to taste (we use ½ tsp)
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 TBSP coconut oil
Serves 4

Prep Day:

Place the sauce ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are chopped but are still slightly chunky.
Season the chicken with sea salt and pepper. Place the chicken and one-third of the sauce in a 1-gallon freezer bag, and seal.
Place the remaining sauce in a 1-quart freezer bag, and seal.
Place both the chicken and sauce freezer bags in another 1-gallon freezer bag, and seal. Place the bag containing the sauce and chicken in the freezer until needed.
Serving Day:

Thaw the chicken and sauce in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the marinade.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the coconut oil. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the remaining sauce on low.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.