Spicy Sweet Grilled Chicken
Spicy Sweet Grilled Chicken
Serves 4
1 chicken, cut in pieces
3 teaspoons kosher salt
Marinade
juice from 2 lemons
grated rind from 1 lemon
¾ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely minced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes or 2 jalapeños, finely minced
3 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise and finely sliced
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Trim excess fat from chicken pieces and place on a paper-towel lined sheet pan. Sprinkle the 3 teaspoons of salt over both sides of chicken. Turn chicken skin side up, cover with a loose paper towel, place a clean cotton dish towel over the paper towel and refrigerate overnight.
Six to 10 hours before you plan to eat, place the marinade ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to blend. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place the pieces in a Ziploc or nonreactive container and pour half the marinade over the chicken. Use your hands to massage the marinade into the meat. Refrigerate. Reserve the extra marinade in a container with a lid and refrigerate.
Remove chicken and extra marinade from the refrigerator. Prepare and light a charcoal, gas, or wood-fired grill. When hot, bank coals or wood to the sides so the chicken is grilling on indirect heat. If using a gas grill, lower temperature to medium. Lift chicken pieces out of the marinade and position skin-side up. The honey in the marinade encourages flames, so watch carefully and reposition chicken to avoid burning. You want a medium, steady heat. After 10 minutes, baste the chicken with the marinade left in the Ziploc, flip over, baste again, then discard any remaining marinade. Adjust the grill and/or heat to keep from burning
Turn 2 additional times while grilling, lightly basting each time with the marinade that was reserved in the jar, and repositioning pieces for even cooking. The chicken will take 25 to 35 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 165° at the thickest part of the thigh and the breast. Wings and drumsticks cook more quickly and should be either put in a low heat spot on grill or removed. When chicken registers 165° on a meat thermometer, remove from grill, brush with any remaining marinade, tent with foil, and let rest 8 to 10 minutes.
Sally Uhlmann’s passion for cooking led her to publish a memoir-style cookbook, “Just Cook with Sally.” She splits her time between the States and her farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, when she is not traveling the world. Sally cooks, develops recipes, and writes stories—mostly about the intersection of food, travel, and her life.
