Chicken Two Ways for an Outdoor Party
Thank you to World Market for sponsoring this post and for generally being awesome.
Coming soon to an outdoor party near you ... chicken two ways. Parties are a lot of work, and chicken two ways will make your party life a heck of a lot easier. Since these are two entirely different recipes, your guests will think you were cooking all day long. But in reality, these have many of the same ingredients and start with the same base, chicken. Plus we are using marinades right out of the bottle, so there is little prep time needed. High five for that. P.S. Keep on reading for a really amazing sweepstakes! P.P.S. These Beer Braised Brats with Apple Mustard Slaw also make great outdoor grilling recipes.
Along with these outdoor grilling recipes, I've got some colorful outdoor entertaining ideas as well. For summer, it's fun to add some bright pillows and decor to your outdoor space. The colors from this Havana Club collection make me happy.
As I mentioned we are using bottled marinades to make chicken two ways. Bottled marinades can sometimes be so-so. But these are not those bottled marinades. They do not taste bottled at all. Instead they are flavorful without tasting "fake," and they are spicy, sweet, and totally delicious.
Jerk Chicken Salad
First up in the chicken two ways line up is this jerk chicken salad. It is zippy and delicious. I can't decide if this fresh salad is Jamaican, Mexican, or Asian. It's sort of a mashup. I think the fancy places call it fusion cuisine. I call it yummy. The sesame ginger dressing gives it an Asian flare. Then you have the Jamaican Jerk marinade. And finally, the fried tortilla strips, which are optional, take you on a trip across the border to Mexico. This is outdoor cooking ideas at its finest my friends.
Marinating the chicken in the Jamaican Jerk Seasoning overnight is definitely the way to go. We are talking major flavor goals here peeps. The Jamaican Jerk Seasoning is a bit spicy, so make sure to use is sparingly if you have guests who are sensitive to heat. As far as outdoor party food ideas go, I like this chicken recipe because it's unique. It's not the ubiquitous bbq chicken.
After you have marinated the chicken the only other prep work is to chip up the veggies for the salad. Even though we are talking chicken two ways, we are still getting some veggies in. I'm always looking out for ya.
Chicken salads make great outdoor grilling recipes because they please the salad and meat lovers alike. Guests can even eat just the chicken or just the salad. Make sure that when you are done grilling the chicken let it rest a couple of minutes before slicing it into strips. If given time to rest the chicken will lose less juice when you cut it. Therefore, it will be juicier and tastier when you put it into your belly.
Jerk Chicken Salad
Serves 4
ingredients
Sesame Ginger Dressing
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlics, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chile paste
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
dash black sesame seeds
Jerk Chicken Salad
2 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup purple cabbage
1 bag mixed salad greens
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
handful of fried tortilla strips (optional)
Directions
Prep the chicken by marinating it overnight in the jerk seasoning.
When you are ready to serve the salad, start by making the dressing. With the exception of the black sesame seeds, place all of the ingredients into a food processor. Pour the dressing into a bowl. Whisk in the black sesame seeds. Pour the dressing into a mason jar for serving.
Grill the chicken for five minutes on the first side and then four minutes on the second side until it is not pink inside. Let the chicken sit for a few minutes before slicing. Slice the chicken into strips. Toss the salad ingredients minus the tortilla strips. Top with the chicken and the tortilla strips.
Since we are talking outdoor party food ideas, I suggest serving the salad in this bright Havana Melamine Serving Bowl. Doesn't it just make you want to dive into the salad head first? Melamine serveware is just one of those great outdoor entertaining ideas. Who wants to mess with glass?
I'm not sure this Jamaican salad can get anymore beautiful, but wait until you taste it. Oh mama! Hopefully you have eaten dinner before you are reading this because I haven't as I sit here and type, and it's killing me smalls. I'm starving now.
Chipotle Mango Grilled Chicken Tacos
Next up on my chicken two ways train ... Chipotle Mango Grilled Chicken Tacos. Is there anything better than a marriage of spicy and sweet? Mikes and I love us some tacos. And if a grilled chicken taco doesn't say outdoor party food, I don't know what does. These are super light as well. You won't feel sick and heavy after you eat them. Plus the quinoa raises the healthy factor.
For this recipe, I also suggest marinating the chicken overnight in the Roasted Mango Chipotle Sauce. You will get some serious Flavor Flav. This "chicken mango" will melt in your mouth after you grill it. Outdoor cooking recipes are best when they are easy, and these are easy folks.
After you grill the chicken and prepare the tacos, it's time to slice into that juicy chicken. Make sure to let it rest again for a couple minutes before cutting. I dig the char/carmelization the chicken gets with this chipotle mango sauce. Ahhhhh ... so yummy. You might want to add this one to your outdoor cooking recipes repertoire.
Tacos are one of those awesome outdoor party food ideas because let's face it it's so fun using one of those pizza grill toppers to warm the taco shells. You feel like Bobby Flay.
Chipotle Mango Grilled Chicken Tacos
SErves 4
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup Bronco Bob's Roasted Mango Chipotle Sauce
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup purple cabbage, shredded
1/2 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
handful cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 cup Cotija cheese
salt and pepper to taste
8 soft taco shells
1/2 mango, diced (optional)
Directions
To prep the chicken, marinate it in the mango chipotle sauce overnight.
When you are ready to serve the tacos, start by making a Mexican tabouli of sorts. Add the quinoa, beans, tomatoes, lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro to a bowl and mix.
Next, grill the chicken for about five minutes on the first side and then four minutes on the second. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes. Then slice the chicken into strips.
Spoon out the Mexican tabouli onto the tacos. Top with the chicken, Cotija cheese, cabbage, a few sprigs of cilantro, and the mango if you are using it to bring out the mango flavor.
I mean how much do you want to make out with these chipotle mango chicken tacos? And how gorgeous is this melamine serving platter? I can't get over how beautifully all of those colors work together.
These two outdoor cooking recipes can obviously be served together in harmony. They look even more beautiful served on these Humminbird Melamine Dinner Plates.
Here is my lil outdoor party set up. One of my favorite pieces is this Green Striped Outdoor Throw. It makes the space feel so cozy and inviting. The color is neutral too, so you can change out the other decor easily without worrying if it will match.
Your summer party ideas list should definitely include a drink tub. These things are so practical. When you are having a bright colored summer party I recommend filling the tub with some colorful soda cans.
Outdoor party food is pretty fun. I'm not gonna lie. It's even more fun when you match your serving bowl. I probably need to get out more.
For an outdoor party, I like to keep it cas like laying out serving platters right on the couch. Guests can feel relaxed grabbing and eating at will.
I have totally added these chicken two ways recipes to my "easy outdoor party food ideas" list.
These hummingbird melamine plates go so well with the serving platters and bowls while having a different print to add some interest.
For patio party ideas do these outdoor throw pillows say summer sunshine or what?
I just love a good outdoor dinner party ... don't you? I especially love outdoor dinner parties that are accompanied by these chicken two ways ideas.
The size of this melamine serving platter is what dreams are made of. Not to mention, the print on it is gorgeous. These tacos are not only a great option for dinner they can be served as outdoor appetizers.
How cute is this pineapple beverage dispenser? It totally reminds me of my good friend A Bubbly Life. This is definintely something I would see on her adorable blog. A large drink dispenser is another one of those great outdoor entertaining ideas. A nice lil cocktail in there is one of those great summer party ideas for adults.
Hope you guys enjoy these outdoor party recipes. Let me know what you think.
And now the fun part. For some grilling tips, check out this video with celebrity chef Brooke Williamson. Wouldn't it be great to spend a week following her around? Man think about how much you would learn. A girl can dream right.
And now the reeeeeaaaally fun part. Since I partnered with World Market on this post, I get to tell you about the Celebrate the Outdoors Sweepstakes. World Market is giving away a trip to Maui plus a $1000 gift card to World Market. What the heck?! How amazing is that? Would that not make your year? To enter click on the link above.
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