Grilled Sambal Chicken Recipe
A flavorful Grilled Indonesian Style, Sambal Chicken that is easy and delicious! Serve with Asian Slaw or Thai Crunch Salad!
How to Make the Best Grilled Sambal Chicken
This Grilled Sambal Chicken brings the bold, fiery flavors of Indonesian cuisine right to your backyard grill. The marinade combines the perfect balance of heat from sriracha and sambal oelek with the savory depth of fish sauce and the subtle sweetness of brown sugar—creating chicken that’s impossibly flavorful and wonderfully caramelized.
What makes this recipe stand out is the technique of reducing the leftover marinade into a thick, glossy basting sauce. As the chicken grills, each brush of this concentrated sauce builds layers of flavor while creating those gorgeous, slightly charred edges that make grilled food irresistible. The result is juicy, tender chicken with a sticky-sweet exterior and just the right amount of kick.
Pair this sambal chicken with a crisp Thai Crunch Salad or refreshing Asian Slaw for a complete meal that’s perfect for summer entertaining. The fresh mint, crunchy peanuts, and cool vegetables provide the ideal contrast to the rich, spicy chicken. It’s a dish that looks impressive but comes together in just 30 minutes.
Grilled Sambal Chicken
A flavorful Grilled Indonesian Style, Sambal Chicken that is easy and delicious! Serve with Asian Slaw or Thai Crunch Salad!
Ingredients
Chicken
Sambal Marinade
Optional
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Cut chicken into bite-size pieces (to skewer) or leave whole and place them in a gallon zip lock bag or bowl.
- Place the rest of the ingredients, except Sambal Oelek (or red chili paste) in a blender, and blend until smooth. Stir in the Sambal Oelek chili paste, to combine.
- Pour marinade over the chicken and marinate for 15 minutes or overnight.
Grill the Chicken
- Pre-heat the grill to medium-high.
- Skewer chicken (or leave whole).
- Pour the leftover marinade into a small pot, bring to a simmer, and simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, until thickened and reduced. You will use it to baste the chicken.
- Place chicken on a hot, preheated, greased grill. Cover. Cook 5 minutes or longer until deep grill marks appear.
- Turn over, baste, and cover. Once you've got a good sear on both sides and both sides are basted, turn heat to low or move to upper rack and continue cooking through (or finish in 375°F oven).
Serve
- Serve with Thai Crunch Salad or Asian Slaw, garnished with fresh mint, scallions, and crushed roasted peanuts.
Notes
- For extra spicy chicken, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of sambal oelek to the marinade.
- Marinating overnight will give you more intense flavor, but 15 minutes works great for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Make sure to boil the leftover marinade before using it as a baste to ensure food safety.
