One Marinade, Three Ways!

I found this recipe for southern style buttermilk grilled chicken on paleoleap.com. When I first made it I had every intention of throwing it on the grill. But as it happens, life got in the way. I ended up putting in the oven instead, and loved it! Later on in the week, I knew we would have no time to grill, so I adapted the same recipe for the crockpot. Again, it was a hit!! Finally got around to grilling with this marinade (as the recipe was originally intended) and of course it was great. But it turned out that we actually liked it better in the oven and the crockpot!!

Anyway, here's the recipe, along with the time & temps for cooking it all three ways. You can decide for yourself which one is your favorite! 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken parts (thighs, drumsticks, legs, etc);
• 3 cloves garlic, minced;
• 2 tbsp. chili powder;
• 2 tsp. ground coriander;
• 2 tsp. ground cumin;
• 1 tsp. turmeric;
• Zest and juice of 1 lime;
• Fresh cilantro; (optional)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;

Ingredients for the coconut buttermilk

• 2 cups of coconut milk;
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation

1. In a bowl, combine the coconut milk and lemon juice. Mix well and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chilli powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garlic, lime zest, and lime juice to the coconut buttermilk mixture. Season to taste and mix well.

For The Grill:

Pour the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours. Preheat a grill to a medium-heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill until cooked through and golden on both sides (about 15 to 20 minutes total). Sprinkle with fresh cilantro to serve.

For The Oven: 

I found that this method works best with chicken thighs. Pour the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cook for approximately 40-50 minutes. 

For The Crockpot: 

I used chicken breasts for the crockpot, rather than thighs because I prefer it for shredding. Simply put your chicken breasts (I used four) in the bottom of the crockpot, and pour the marinade on top. Cook on low for four hours. Remove the chicken and shred the meat before returning to the marinade. This method has a completely different flavor. It almost ends up tasting like a chicken curry! We usually eat it over rice (or cauliflower rice if you're strict paleo).