Chicken is easily the most-searched-for ingredient on DailyExpertNews Cooking, and it goes without saying: It’s economical, it’s widely available, it’s better for the climate than other meats. And it’s endlessly adaptable, a blank canvas for all kinds of preparations and vibrant, delicious seasonings. In the cold months, that means cozy soups, stews and roasts. But in the summer, grilling becomes the method of choice, as it takes you out of a hot kitchen and adds a low-fire-kissed flavor and texture to the otherwise tender meat. You can always salt chicken, grill well, and get tasty results, but if you’re looking for something a little more exciting, here are 12 of our favorite grilled chicken recipes that will keep you busy and full through Memorial Day weekend and beyond.
J. Kenji López-Alt has a clever trick for keeping grilled chicken breasts tender: he sprinkles them with mayonnaise, then lets them marinate for up to 24 hours before grilling. In this recipe, he mixes the mayo with a little chimichurri, but you can flavor it with almost anything. Pesto, salsa verde, bottled barbecue sauce, jarred Thai curry paste, teriyaki sauce, or mole work equally well.
This salty-spicy-sweet recipe from Sam Sifton is a favorite of readers and contributors. Boneless chicken thighs rest in a combination of sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and black pepper. Then, while grilling, they are sprinkled with a mixture of soy, ginger, and brown sugar, creating a glossy, impossibly delicious lacquer. Make a double batch of the Sriracha cashews to snack on later.
Recipe: Grilled chicken thighs with soy sauce and spicy cashew nuts
Tartar sauce is usually served with fish, but this clever, complete meal from Kay Chun will make you rethink that idea. She uses a homemade tartar butter made with butter, pickles, capers, and fresh parsley to season grilled chicken thighs, corn, and okra.
Recipe: Grilled Chicken And Corn With Tartar Butter
Kenji’s mayo chicken (above) inspired this vibrant recipe from Ali Slagle. She added ginger and lime zest to the mayonnaise for a light and bright flavor you’ll crave again and again. (For those without a grill, she offers stovetop instructions.)
Tajín is a Mexican seasoning made with dried, crushed red chiles, sea salt, and dehydrated lime juice. In this Rick A. Martinez recipe, Tajín is combined with agave syrup, orange juice, orange zest, chipotles, adobo, garlic, and olive oil to make a shiny, smoky-sweet sauce for grilled chicken.
Recipe: Tajín Grilled Chicken
Marinating chicken before grilling can add a lot of flavor, but if you don’t have the time or don’t plan ahead, you can still make a great grilled chicken dish. Ali Slagle actually prefers not to marinate, but to grill and then enthusiastically season it, a technique she uses in this recipe. Grill the chicken, drizzle with olives and olive brine, lemon zest and juice, fresh parsley and chilli, and let rest for 5 to 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe: Grilled Chicken With Parsley-Olive Sauce
Grilling a whole chicken may not be something you’ve ever considered, but Melissa Clark is a fan. “You get the incredibly juicy meat and brittle, crispy, polished skin of a roast chicken, combined with the deep smoky flavor of the grill,” she wrote. To make it, spread the chicken to make sure it cooks evenly, then use your grill as an outdoor oven and cook it in a skillet on the grates. (The skillet helps distribute the heat and trap the juices so they don’t burn in the fire.) Use those schmaltzy juices to cook spinach that you’ll be piling on ricotta toasts.
Recipe: Grilled Roast Chicken With Spinach Ricotta Crostini
Sam Sifton’s recipe delivers perfectly polished barbecue chicken with a sticky sweet sauce, thanks to a basting technique he learned from chef and outdoor chef Adam Perry Lang, who dilutes his sauce with water and then bastes the chicken over and over. This allows it to reduce and intensify rather than seize and burn like a thicker sauce might. One more thing: Make sure to move and turn the pieces quite often to avoid burning them.
Recipe: Grilled chicken
In this recipe, Melissa Clark marinates boneless chicken thighs in a spicy marinade of za’atar, yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, cilantro, oregano, salt, and black pepper before grilling them until charred with crispy edges. Yes, you can use boneless chicken breasts in place of the thighs, but keep an eye out for them; the yogurt will help keep them moist, but they’ll still cook faster than the dark meat.
Recipe: Grilled Za’atar Chicken With Garlic Yogurt And Coriander
Anchovy-marinated chicken and romaine lettuce are grilled in this backyard version of Florence Fabricant’s classic salad. Grilling the lettuce may seem like an odd choice, but it’s a brilliant trick that makes the green leaves charred and crisp, and the insides soft and barely sweet, while preserving the lettuce’s signature crunch.
Recipe: Caesar salad with grilled chicken
“Easy to prepare. Excellent results.” “This recipe is easy peasy and totally delicious!” “Perfect in every way!” This old-fashioned recipe from Pierre Fraey first appeared in The Times over 30 years ago, but it’s still a reader favorite. Marinate boneless breasts in a combination of turmeric, rosemary, garlic, lime juice and olive oil, then grill (or roast) and brush with melted butter. (Keep in mind that when this recipe was developed, boneless chicken breasts weren’t nearly as huge as most today, so adjust your grilling time accordingly.)
Yakitori is Japanese skewered and grilled chicken that can use about 30 different chicken parts, from momo or chicken thigh to nankotsu or chicken cartilage. In this recipe, Melissa Clark calls for marinating chicken thighs, gizzards and livers in a savory-sweet sauce of ginger, sake, mirin, soy sauce, garlic and a dash of brown sugar, then grill or broil and sprinkle with chopped spring greens. outings. Serve it alongside something fresh and green.
Recipe: Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers)
