The Chicken Dinner With a Perfect 5-Star Rating

A great chicken dinner is a recipe you keep for life. Coming across one that's been hiding away is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a long rainbow.

While Allrecipes has no shortage of chicken dinners to satisfy your chicken craving, there is one recipe from Chef John that is perfect, according to our community.

It's a little sweet, a little tangy, and perfect for anytime you need a chicken dinner that impresses.

Chef John's Perfect Chicken Recipe

“I'm showing you how I make what is probably the best barbecue chicken you've never had,” says Chef John, about his Filipino-Style Barbecue Chicken, which has received perfect 5-star reviews so far from every Allrecipes member that tried it.

What makes this chicken recipe so good is the banana ketchup Chef John makes from scratch. It is the base used for the Filipino-style marinade, as well as a key ingredient in the basting sauce.

But the banana ketchup isn't the only secret ingredient for the chicken marinade. Chef John also adds lemon-lime soda, like 7-Up or Sprite.

"I guess you don't have to use the 7-Up," says Chef John. "We could use a little more sugar, some lemon and lime and get really close. But the risk is there's some magical thing the soda does that those things I just mentioned wouldn't do."

Related: Sprite — Yes, Sprite — Is the Secret to a Juicy, Tender Chicken Dinner

What is Banana Ketchup?

Banana ketchup is a sweet and tangy condiment popular in Filipino cooking. The recipe is similar to tomato ketchup, but with a fruity twist.

The key is using a very ripe banana, similar to banana bread. What you want is the nice sweet flavor of a banana without the aftertaste that can come from a banana with some green color.

Chef John's banana ketchup uses a large amount of ingredients, but most of them are seasonings and spices, so it's very easy to put together. His sauce uses a very ripe banana, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, water, brown sugar, and vegetable oil, plus the seasonings, which include freshly grated ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, ground allspice, and ground turmeric.

Of course, the shortcut way to put this recipe together is to buy a bottle of banana ketchup, which is available at most grocery stores.

Related: What Is Banana Ketchup?

"This was so fantastic! Love the spicy-sweet ketchup and the marinade was on point! Grill time was perfect and they looked beautiful! Took over a day to make, but whatever, great way to use up a banana that's going out. Will make this again, thanks Chef!"

Allrecipes community member fruitdog

How to Make Chef John's Filipino-Style Barbecue Chicken

Chef John always does his best to make his recipes approachable, and this one is no different. This recipe has three parts: the banana ketchup, the prep and marinade for the chicken, and the basting sauce.

Gather your ingredients for your banana ketchup and add them to a small saucepan. Once fully combined, simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Once the banana sauce is ready, make the marinade by combining 1/2 cup of this sauce with soda, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, black pepper, and one lemon. Whisk to combine and place your chicken in the sauce to marinate for 4 to 18 hours in the refrigerator.

Keep 3 tablespoons of banana ketchup to make your basting sauce, which will be used to coat the chicken while it's cooking. Mix together your reserved banana ketchup with soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and fish sauce.

Finally, skewer your chicken, and place on the grill, and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, basting every 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with rice, vegetables, or any of your favorite sides for a chicken dinner.

Get the recipe: Filipino-Style Barbecue Chicken

Read the original article on ALLRECIPES