what is your absolute favorite grilled chicken recipe?

April 20, 2023 7:25 PM

Looking for grilled chicken recipes that are approprate for a skin on half chicken that do NOT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING to make them perfect amazing and good: slow cooking, smoking, regular saucing or basting throughout the cook process, or a certain kind of grill/woodchip flavor etc. Recipe links or "I kinda do this it's its AMAZING" are all fine! Brining and marinading ahead of time are totally okay! Time & temp instructions will be ignored, I already know how I need to cook these birds, I just want THE BEST FLAVORS!
posted by Grandysaur to Food & Drink (21 answers total)

coat with your preferred cooking oil, salt and pepper, onion power and garlic powder, then dump a small can of chipotle in adobo over the top, then roast in an oven or toaster oven or air fryer at 400 deg F until cooked through, basting with the drippings and sauce occasionally if you can be bothered.

You can add the drippings to a can of pinto or refriend beans simmering in a small saucepot, for a side.

Not a legit favorite so much as bullet proof weeknight punt. But that is its own kind of favorite.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:33 PM on April 20, 2023

Our family swears by the Cornell Recipe, a delightful and easy marinade. Basting optional.

I’ll be watching this thread with interest!
posted by slmorri at 7:36 PM on April 20, 2023 [2 favorites]

Grilling also works for the method suggested above. As with anything that is basically a BBQ sauce...

You can also take pounded bonleess/skinless chicken thighs or breasts and prepare them as though veal scaloppini (eg, marsala, piccata, saltimboca, parm etc), but not for the cut OP mentioned. And in a pan, not on the grill.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:36 PM on April 20, 2023

This Thai-style BBQ chicken is some of the best-tasting food I've ever cooked. Don't skip the dipping sauce; grinding the toasted rice is a pain but so worth it.
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 8:27 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Dry brine— salt generously and leave in the fridge uncovered for a few hours at least.

Half chicken is good, saves you from needing to spatchcock. Otherwise, this recipe does the trick. He doesn’t dry brine there but it certainly doesn’t hurt. I like serving with a chimichurri.
posted by supercres at 8:56 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

I only make chicken 3 ways, mostly because I can't eat it. 1) Penzey BBQ seasoning (BBQ of the Americas or whatever you like); 2) garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and a little oil rubbed inside and out; 3) poultry herb mix and salt and butter rubbed inside and out. I've been told they're all good.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:38 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

1. Cumin + smoked paprika + salt is my go-to rub for everything, and it works great on chicken

2. if you're cooking skin on, loosen the skin and put things underneath. A good one to try is gremolata (a paste of lemon rind, parsley, garlic and salt).
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:36 PM on April 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Soak the chicken in Chiavetta’s BBQ Marinade, it's a vinegar and spices mix that's tasty and delicious.
posted by Marky at 1:28 AM on April 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

Cook it simply and top with Chinese scallion ginger sauce. Chinese people use this sauce to turn poached (read: bland) chicken into a delectable meal.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 4:26 AM on April 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

The recipe for Chicken Lady Chicken works great on the grill. Can be used for skin-on breasts or a half chicken with no issue. A bonus that the marinade is made with staples I always have on hand.
posted by mcgsa at 7:10 AM on April 21, 2023

1. Brush the shit out of the chicken with melted butter.
2. Shake an unholy amount of Lawry's Seasoning on it.
3. Grill
4. Enjoy

I'm a pretty good cook by this point and I can do all kinds of more complicated things to chicken, but for me, this is the grilled bird equivalent of kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper on steaks: it's simple, but it works, and most other things are just wasted effort.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:36 AM on April 21, 2023 [4 favorites]

I adore this spice rub from Spicewalla on chicken.
posted by actionpact at 8:13 AM on April 21, 2023

I generally use this for boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but it was originally for bone-in, skin-on chicken. Mix ingredients and marinade for about 24 hours.

Mom's Ginger Marinade:
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs sesame oil
1/3 c soy sauce
1 tbs garlic sriracha chili sauce
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, smashed

That recipe covers 12 boneless thighs. Adjust according to how much chicken you're cooking. The char from the grill is *chef's kiss*.
posted by hydra77 at 9:14 AM on April 21, 2023

A marinade of good old Wishbone Italian dressing is a classic for a reason. It makes tender, juicy, tasty grilled chicken, and couldn't be simpler.
posted by CheeseLouise at 10:07 AM on April 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

Mayo.

Whatever flavors you want*, mix into mayo to apply a marinade that sticks to the meat with surprisingly little dripping** therefore fewer flare-ups. This also works a treat in the air fryer.

*I mean, anything that burns easily is going to burn and turn bitter, so all those tender seasonings are better in a sauce or tadka/chonk or just garnishing after, but using mayo does let you use some wetter additions in moderation. You can even make your marinade as mayo with a stick blender, however...

** I do find that commercial jar mayo's additional emulsifiers make it even less drippy.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:12 AM on April 21, 2023

I like to marinate chicken in a big can of whole peeled tomatoes with a bunch of barbecue sauce mixed in. It keeps the chicken really moist and tender, and I grill the tomatoes as a side dish. You can boil the leftover marinade for 5 minutes to make a sauce.
posted by ananci at 11:21 AM on April 21, 2023

I make 'fried' chicken by tossing skin-on chicken with flour, S&P, herbs, and baking it skin-side down, turning it once. The skin is crsipy and tasty, and there is usually find if you want to make gravy. I've also had chicken coated in a mustard mayo mix, then baked.

Casserole pan, rice, chicken, orange juice, chicken broth, baked covered, uncover for the last bit.

Also, chicken marbella and Australia's mango chicken are classics for a reason.

For anything that roasts or braises, the skin & bones add lots of flavor.
posted by theora55 at 11:30 AM on April 21, 2023

Gregory Gourdet's grilled chicken recipe. which comes from his cookbook Everyone's Table.

I highly recommend the book. Everything I've made from the book is amazing. When I cook a recipe of his for family or friends they insist on getting the recipe.
posted by CleverClover at 12:04 PM on April 21, 2023

This is cheating, but Classico brand jarred pesto and jarred sundried tomato. A little soy sauce. Tomato powder if you have it. Try to find if you don't. Try Indian grocery stores.

Can go on the grill right away or you can let it marinate for half an hour or so. Overnight in the fridge is fine, but the pesto will wilt and discolour. It's fine.
posted by porpoise at 12:57 PM on April 21, 2023

You asked for grilled chicken, but I will give you Mark Bittman's easiest roasted chicken because it is perfection. And you can use your grill for it if it has a lid/dome, for even more perfect perfection because of the smokiness. I often use butter instead of oil.
Since I first saw this recipe, I have rarely cooked chicken in any other way. It is that good.
posted by mumimor at 11:03 PM on April 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

You can use Bittman's method (and other similar methods for lemon/garlic/herb chicken) with bone-in skin-on chicken pieces too (whether roasting or gilling).

Don't have to reserve it for whole chickens, though I do love the way they come out.
posted by snuffleupagus at 2:01 PM on April 24, 2023