Who wants to cook inside when it’s the height of the summer heat? For those renting warriors without central air at least, it’s not something that we love… So let's head to the grill and try some sweet, smoky, and savory Loas-inspired fish sauce and honey chicken legs!
This recipe is based loosely on Pieng Gai which is a flavor bomb of marinated chicken, usually the wings, that are roasted or grilled. There are a few key differences that make this version unique, which is why we’re not calling it Pieng Gai.
For some background, Laos is a Southeast Asian country traversed by the Mekong River and sandwiched between Thailand and Vietnam. It’s known for mountainous terrain, French colonial architecture, hill tribe settlements, and beautiful Buddhist monasteries - not to mention vibrant and delicious cuisine.
Laos has the highest sticky rice consumption per capita in the world with an average of 377 pounds of sticky rice consumed annually per person. Some Lao will refer to themselves as ‘luk khao niaow’, which can be translated as 'children or descendants of sticky rice'. That’s dedication if we’ve ever seen it!
The important part of this dish is the marinade, which is made from a combination of fish sauce, soy sauce, hot honey, minced garlic, finely chopped cilantro, and black pepper. The soy sauce and fish sauce give an essential saltiness and savoriness to the chicken and act as the base to the sauce.
Hot honey is a key ingredient that adds sweetness, heat, and a touch of floral notes. We’ve made our own chili infused honey in a recipe before but we decided to go for a prepared product. Mikes Hot Honey is a great product and it also helps that I just got a foodservice-sized bottle at the Summer Fancy Food Show back in June 2022.
The garlic adds a rich savory and earthy flavor that acts as a backbone to the flavor and boosts the savoriness to new heights. Minced cilantro works as a bright aromatic ingredient. In this application, we prefer to use the tender cilantro stems since they have a ton of flavor and the leaves can be saved for garnish or another recipe. Finally, black pepper gives a boost of spice to the hot honey that completes the marinade.
Now that the marinade is complete, it’s time for the chicken. Tender and rich dark meat chicken drums work well, but since they are so thick it’s hard for a marinade to get into it. Using a Forge To Table 7” Boning Knife, we butterfly a chicken
leg by slicing down the middle of the skinless side and slicing along the bone to make the meat flat.
By ‘butterflying’ the chicken, it will absorb the flavorful marinade faster and easier, as well as cook easier when on a hot grill. Other pieces of chicken that work include chicken wings (classic), or chicken thighs. Marinate for at least a few hours and overnight for the best results.
All that's left to do is fire up the grill and cook them up! I recommend cooking over medium flame since the honey in the marinade has a lot of sugar and chars quickly. Cook up some sticky rice, and green papaya salad, and you’re ready to rock!
Honey & Fish Sauce Grilled Chicken Legs
Based loosely on Laos-style grilled chicken, Pieng Gai, these succulent chicken legs cook faster and more even by butterflying the meat away from the bone. A sweet, savory, and aromatic marinade brings the dish to life. This should be the new go-to for grilled chicken!
Recipe and Photography by Sam Burgess
Forge To Table Knives
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons high-quality fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons hot honey (or plain honey)
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped, plus more, for serving
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds chicken legs
Oil cooking spray
Sticky rice, for serving
Green papaya salad, for serving (optional)
Sliced boy choy, for serving (optional)
Directions:
MARINADE. In a gallon-sized ziplock bag, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, finely chopped cilantro, and black pepper. Mix until everything is well combined and set aside.
BUTTERFLY LEGS. Pat chicken legs dry. Using a Forge To Table 7” Boning Knife, butterfly a chicken leg by slicing down the middle of the skinless side and slicing along the bone to make the meat flat. Repeat with remaining chicken legs.
MARINADE. Add butterflied chicken legs into the bag, mix to coat well, and marinate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
START GRILLING. Once marinated, preheat the grill on high with the lid closed for about 10 minutes. Once hot, spray grill grates with oil cooking spray and place chicken pieces, skin-side down, onto the hot grill. Close the lid and cook until the skin is lightly charred, about 3-4 minutes. Add sliced bok choy to the grill, if using.
FINISH GRILLING. Use tongs to flip and cook on the other side. Pour any remaining marinade in the bag onto the chicken as it cooks. Continue until the thickest part of the chicken registers 165F degrees, about 7-12 minutes more. Remove softened bok choy once lightly charred.
SERVE. Place finished chicken on a serving platter with cooked sticky rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro, grilled bok choy (optional), and Green papaya salad (optional). Enjoy!
Chef’s Notes:
If a grill isn’t available, cook the chicken legs under a broiler until cooked through to 165F degrees, about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway.
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