Grill Chicken Like a King

Grilled chicken, when done right, can be a savory protein complimented by the flavors and char from the grill. When done wrong, it can be, well, boring. And nobody likes boring. But with the right tricks and the recipe below, you can easily go from basic to incredible.

First of all, I always recommend fresh packaged chicken. While frozen is easy for convenience, and can still be flavorful, fresh chicken is always the easiest to control right from the start. I personally love Tyson® Fresh Chicken Thighs for on the fly grilling nights and always got a great value at Walmart.

Now, chicken breasts strait from the package are already at a disadvantage due to their shape. When applied to heat, different portions of the meat will cook at different speeds, and because of this, you get different temperatures throughout. The easiest and most stress relieving solution is to give the chicken a little beating.

Place your Tyson® Fresh Chicken Thighs breasts in freezer bag and place on a flat surface. Using a meat hammer or another heavy, broad surfaced, item, evenly beat the chicken breast to be about 3/4 of an inch throughout. While the meat is not going to be the prettiest, this thickness will ensure a consistent cooking temperature throughout. Any thinner and you risk drying out quicker than you can get it cooked.

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Next comes the grilling itself. No matter the brine or recipe, too much heat will kill the chicken’s chances of standing out, and all this work would be for nothing. If you don’t have a grill thermometer, you should get one. Bring your grill up over a medium heat, between 375 and 400 degrees, which will give the meat a great temperature to develop a char while not losing out on moisture.

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After a few minutes on each side, you can move the chicken to a cooler spot on your grill to finish coming up to a safe 165* without risking ruining all your hard work. A little secret would be to use a metal mixing bowl or even a bread pan to quickly cover the chicken and direct the good heat back down.

Now for the recipe. You can have all the grilling tricks in the world, but without the savory recipe, you will never be the king on the block. Focusing on the chicken thigh as an incredible vessel of flavor, here is my delicious, easy to make recipe for a memorable chicken.

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Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs Tyson® Fresh Chicken Thighs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoons dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Preparation

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Lightly cover the Tyson® Fresh Chicken Thighs with olive oil, making sure to get it into the nooks and crannies of the thinned meat. Coat both sides of the chicken with the dry ingredients about 45 minutes before frilling, storing covered at room temperature. About 15 minute prior to cooking, preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the chicken breasts in the middle of the grill, cooking for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, turning only once. The thickest past should read 165* when done.

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Serve this alongside some grilled mushroom and asparagus, maybe covered in some onion powder and salt, along with a delicious cocktail, and I promise your family and friends will remember you as the king of grilled chicken.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods Inc. The opinions and text are all mine.