Grilled Chicken Thighs with Fennel Relish (AIP, Paleo, Whole30)

This Grilled Chicken with Fennel Relish is one of the easiest throw-it-on-the-grill recipes you’ll make all summer. It’s full of Mediterranean-inspired flavors from a simple dairy-free yogurt marinade. Ground fennel seed adds a warm, citrusy note to the coconut yogurt, while plenty of fresh lemon helps neutralize any trace of coconut flavor. Then, it’s topped with a relish made with fennel bulb, olives, shallots and herbs. You can make it ahead and let the relish pickle as it sits. It’s an impressive platter for family-style grilling, and perfect to batch for meal prep.

How this recipe fits AIP, Paleo and Whole30

This recipe is fully compatible with AIP Modified, Paleo and Whole30. For AIP Core, omit the fennel seed. You can substitute dried dill, dried oregano, or fennel pollen if you have it on hand. Fennel pollen has a delicate anise flavor that works beautifully in this recipe, though it can be expensive and harder to find. When selecting olives, choose plain, unstuffed olives and review the ingredient list for any additives, preservatives, or stabilizers. For AIP, avoid olives stuffed with pimientos, as pimientos are peppers, which are nightshades and are eliminated on the AIP program.

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Start by making the fennel relish. If you’ve never worked with fennel before, it can look a bit daunting. It’s in the celery family, so if those stalks look familiar, that’s why. They are edible, but a little tough, so trim them off to leave the bulb. The fronds – the leafy greens at the ends of the stalks – are perfectly edible. Save them to use to top the relish. They’re fennel in herb form, bright and floral. Then, trim the bulb. Cut the bottom off at the stem and discard it. Then trim the bulb into quarters and trim the core.

You could chop all of the relish components by hand, but using the food processor is so much easier. Add the fennel quarters, olives (double check for missed pits), shallot and parsley into the bowl of the processor and pulse until everything is coarsely chopped.

Then, toss the relish with olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt. I like white wine vinegar here because it’s neutral and won’t compete with the brine from the olives like lemon juice will. Then cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. It will almost pickle as it sits, and it gets better with some time. Right before you serve, top the relish with some fennel fronds.

Then, make the marinate. Whisk the coconut yogurt with lemon juice, fennel seed, garlic powder and salt. The lemon will fully neutralize the taste of the coconut, and will leave behind a tangy, rich dairy-free yogurt marinade that’s a undetectable swap for greek yogurt.

Before you marinate the chicken, take a moment and pound the pieces out. Here’s how: Place a boneless, skinless chicken thigh in between two pieces of parchment paper, or better, inside a zip-top bag. This keeps the raw chicken contained and your kitchen from getting contaminated. Then, gently pound the chicken thighs until they’re an even thickness, and a bit tenderized.

Then, toss the chicken with the marinade, cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to four hours. The acidity of the yogurt (even though it’s coconut yogurt) and the lemon juice with tenderize the chicken, and help give it a nice caramelized crust when you put it on the grill.

When you’re ready to cook, prepare an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, turning once per side to get those crosshatch grill marks. Here’s my secret for perfectly juicy and tender chicken thighs: cook them until the internal temperature reaches 185°. Yes, that’s 20 degrees more than when they are technically done, and while 165° is ideal for white meat chicken, it’s not enough to break down the collagen and connective tissue in a chicken thigh, even the boneless skinless cuts.

Finally, bring everything together. Arrange the chicken on a platter and let it rest for just a few minutes. Then, top with the fennel relish, with plenty on the side for serving. If you have some extra lemon, you can garnish the platter or serve quarters for squeezing. And you can garnish everything with extra fennel fronds. The fennel seed in the marinade is the real star here. It’s both warm and bright, citrusy and perfect for summer.

Grilled Chicken with Fennel Relish (AIP, Paleo, Whole30)

This Grilled Chicken with Fennel Relish is made with a dairy-free yogurt marinade, fresh lemon, ground fennel seed and a briny relish of fennel, olives, shallot and herbs. It’s a bright, Mediterranean-inspired chicken recipe that can be grilled or broiled and is compatible with AIP, Paleo and Whole30.

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Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:20 minutes mins

Marinate Time:1 hour hr

Total Time:1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Christina Marche

Ingredients

Fennel Relish

• 1 medium fennel bulb, stalks removed (reserve fronds)
• ¼ cup parsley leaves
• 1 small shallot
• ½ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 tbsp fennel fronds, roughly chopped

Chicken

• ½ cup plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1¼ tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground fennel seed
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (5-6 pieces)
• Olive oil or avocado oil

Instructions

Make the relish

• Quarter the fennel bulb lengthwise and trim away the tough core.
• Add the fennel, parsley, shallot, and olives to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine and coarse. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the vinegar, olive oil, and salt.
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
• Just before serving, stir in the chopped fennel fronds.
• The relish can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Marinate the chicken

• One at a time, place the chicken thighs between two sheets of parchment paper or inside a plastic zip-top food storage bag and pound to an even thickness.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut yogurt, lemon juice, salt, fennel seed (if using), and garlic powder.
• Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Grill the chicken

• Prepare an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan for medium-high heat. Brush with olive oil or avocado oil.
• Grill over medium-high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and the thickest part of the chicken registers 180° to 185°, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.
• Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Spoon the fennel relish over the top and serve.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: AIP, AIP Modified, Paleo, Whole30