Adobo Air-Fried Chicken Thighs with Coconut Rice
Overview
SERVES: 8 / PREP TIME: 8 HRS (for marinating) / COOK TIME: 30 Minutes
Air-fried chicken thighs are actually a hosting dream. They don’t dry out easily like chicken breasts and they soak up the sweet/salty/peppery marinade to juicy perfection. Mix up and marinate in the morning and you’re ready to pop them in the air fryer for dinner. Chicken thighs are also small enough that no one has to cut anything to make a plate — ideal situation.
If you’ve never had coconut rice before, you’ll never want regular rice again. The coconut tones down the adobo flavors in the chicken and keeps the rice moist and decadent. Also highly recommend making the pineapple avocado salsa (added below).
Ingredients
For the Adobo Chicken and Marinade
2 lbs chicken thighs
2 cups orange juice
½ cup low sodium tamari (GF) or soy sauce
7 oz can chipotles in adobo plus all juices
Juice of 1 lime
5 garlic cloves, crushed
Pepper
Additional lime wedges for garnish
For the Coconut Rice
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup full fat coconut milk
¼ cup water
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Equipment
Large airtight container for marinade
Air fryer - would recommend this Ninja Double Decker
Small stock pot with lid
Instructions
[8 hours before cooking] Mix orange juice, tamari, chipotles in adobo, garlic cloves and pepper in a bowl. Add chicken thighs to marinade container and pour marinade over the top. Shake to coat and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper for easier clean up. Bake chicken thighs and peppers at 390 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. I’d recommend cooking in batches so thighs get crispier and cook faster.
Make your coconut rice. In a stock pot, combine jasmine rice, coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then cover and reduce to a simmer over medium low to low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and add 1 tbsp butter and cilantro, toss to combine. Cover again with lid and let rest until serving.
Serve chicken thighs on a plate with roasted adobo peppers and lime wedges. Add rice to a bowl and serve alongside chicken.
Optional Side: Pineapple Avocado Salsa
SERVES: 8 / PREP TIME: 15 minutes / COOK TIME: 5 Minutes
Ingredients
½ cup diced fresh pineapple
¼ white onion, diced
1 medium avocado, cubed
2 tbsp diced cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili flakes
½ tsp garlic powder
Juice of 1 lime
Instructions:
Mix pineapple, avocado, onion, cilantro, salt, chili flakes, garlic powder and lime and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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