Last Updated on July 14, 2023
This is a guest recipe from Whitney Stuart, a clinical dietitian-nutritionist and certified diabetic educator. Her virtual practice, Whitness Nutrition, educates people on evidence-based nutrition concepts with an emphasis on real food for real joy.
Summer approaches and with temperatures rising, you’re likely to be spending more time outside.
Take advantage of the good weather and longer sunny days by preparing your meals in the sunshine, too! Have a grill on the patio? Grilling not only saves your kitchen some unnecessary cleaning and heat, but it’s to make a flavorful family-friendly dinner. Consider eating al fresco; a picnic blanket and some bright napkins add a fun flair for BBQ themed “date night out.”
Add this seasonal entree’s ingredients to this week’s grocery list and thaw some ButcherBox chicken thighs. Support Local by grabbing your fruit selections from a farmer’s market. This “Just Peachy! Chicken Thighs BBQ” recipe is the perfect summer-time dinner entree. Honestly, it’s equally good as lunch leftovers on a toasted whole wheat bun.
The ButcherBox boneless and skinless chicken thighs are the stars of this meal. You can taste the quality, and the boneless option decreases overall cooking time and makes marinating easier.
This dietitian-approved recipe features a flavorful blend of spices—without added salt—to achieve a healthy protein-rich dinner offering. Spice is the secret healthy resource to make your homemade meals taste restaurant-grade. The hot and sweet spice blend we created with paprika, tamari, and ketchup takes any plain chicken from sad to sassy.
And, the addition of ripe seasonal fruits provides a sweet caramelization that’s just peachy!
Quick Tip: Want to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead? No problem! See recipe below for modifications.
Pro Tip: To ensure that your chicken thighs stay juicy and are fully-cooked, use a simple meat thermometer. You want to see 165°F in the thickest part of the chicken before you remove it from the heat. This should take about 8-12 minutes on a hot grill.
Bonus Tip: Peaches that are still firm when squeezed are best for grilling. An overripe peach will burn quickly. Brush the peach halves with olive oil to prevent sticking; it won’t burn the way sugar or spice rubs can when added to the fruit. We’re using peaches in this recipe because they’re fresh and seasonal here in Texas, but you could use mangos or pears as well!
Ingredients
- 4 ButcherBox Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs about 1-2 lbs.
- 1 tbsp ghee or avocado oil
- 1 white onion chopped, about ½ a small onion
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup low-sugar ketchup
- ¼ cup tamari
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 peaches sliced in half with pits removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 cups favorite leafy greens spinach, lettuce, arugula, broccoli slaw
- balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and stir every minute until soft and deeply golden brown about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar. Turn down heat one level.
- Cook for about 3 minutes until the liquid thickens, or “reduces,” by about half.
- Mix in ketchup, tamari and coconut sugar until they dissolve.
- Then, mix in the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
On the Grill
- Meanwhile, preheat a grill and lightly oil the grates.
- Halve and pit the peaches. Run a sharp knife along each peach's seam to halve them. Remove the pit and brush each cut side with olive oil.
- Place the peaches cut-side down on the grill and cook undisturbed until grill marks appear, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Flip the peaches and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes, until the skins are charred and the peaches are soft.
- Roll your thighs in your prepared onion sauce. You can use a large casserole pan, or a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet. (Fewer dishes!) Save the leftover sauce for drizzling.
- Place thighs on the grill for approximately 5 minutes; flip chicken and allow it to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Check the temp! Cook chicken until it reaches 165°F, you may need to cook another 4 to 5 minutes on each side and recheck.
- To assemble your dinner: Add a base of leafy greens, add the chicken thighs and peaches to follow. We prefer the remnants of the onion sauce to dress it, but a balsamic vinegar works well too!
Notes
Whitney Stuart is a nutrition expert. She has been in practice as a Clinical dietitian-nutritionist and Certified Diabetic Educator for the past 5 years. Her virtual practice, Whitness Nutrition, educates the masses on evidence-based nutrition concepts with an emphasis on real food for real joy. Her full-service nutrition private practice provides nutritional counseling, education, and consulting services. When she’s not serving, you’ll find her sipping on an iced coffee on a sunny patio or running with her Aussie, Jax.
