Grilled Ground Chili Garlic Oil Turkey Thighs

Turkey thighs are my choice when I want to grill a small batch of turkey. I eat some of the turkey and then use the leftovers for sandwiches. My local supermarket now sells two fresh turkey thighs in a vacuum sealed package, so it’s very convenient to just grill the two thighs rather than having to thaw a whole turkey. For this batch, I used ground chili garlic oil (which is more of a loose paste) as the principal flavor ingredient in the marinade. The ground chili garlic oil is made in Thailand and, from the picture on the label, is intended for noodle dishes.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2	2	One package fresh turkey thighs
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Jack Hua brand ground chili garlic oil or equivalent
4 Tbs.	60 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
4 Tbs.	60 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)

 

Equipment

22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

 

Ground Chili Garlic Oil

Instructions

1. Prepare the turkey thigh pieces by removing any excess fat and marinate the turkey in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, Jack Hua brand ground chili garlic oil or equivalent, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the turkey overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
2. Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. If desired, soak any smoking wood in water for at least one hour. I use dry and do not soak the wood.
3. Arrange the lighted coals in one half of the grill if using a charcoal grill. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Lubricate the grill grate using tongs and a folded paper towel sprinkled with oil. Add the smoking wood to the grill.
4. Place the turkey, skin side up, on the cold side of the grill, and cook for 30-40 minutes covered.
5. Remove the turkey from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes. If desired, the thighs can be deboned and the meat sliced into pieces before serving.