Grilled BBQ Chicken

Chicken: This recipe calls for two pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts. Roughly four breasts. If the chicken is thick, you can butterfly it into thinner cutlets. You can also pound the chicken to make it even thickness. Thinner chicken cooks more quickly and evenly than large, thick chicken breasts.

Avocado Oil: This recipe calls for avocado oil. You will use some on the chicken, and you will need extra to brush the grill grates before grilling.

Spice Blend: Combine smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and kosher salt. Mix well. You’ll need to reserve one tablespoon of the mixed spice blend for the BBQ sauce.

• This spice blend recipe will make more spice blend than needed. Reserve extra spice blend for future recipes in a spice jar.

BBQ Sauce: Combine tomato puree, ketchup, water, light brown sugar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, reserved spice blend, ground mustard, pressed garlic cloves, kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

• This BBQ sauce recipe makes more sauce than needed. Store extra BBQ sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

How to Butterfly Chicken Breasts

• If your chicken breast is thick, take a sharp knife and run it down the side of the chicken lengthwise. Carefully cut the chicken breast in half, so you have two thinner cutlets remaining.
• If they are still thick after butterflying, you can place the cutlets in a sealable bag and gently pound them with a mallet until they are even thickness. This promotes quick, even grilling.
• It also prevents the spice blend from burning on the grill. Thinner chicken cooks more quickly, which will help prevent the outside from burning.

Combine smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and kosher salt. Mix well.

Reserve 1 tablespoon of the mixed spice blend for the BBQ sauce and 1.5 tablespoons of the mixed spice blend to season the chicken. Extra spice blend can be stored in a sealable spice container for future use.

In a sauce pot, combine tomato puree, ketchup, water, light brown sugar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, reserved spice blend, ground mustard, pressed garlic cloves, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. I use a healthy amount of cracked black pepper.

Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer until the sauce has thickened. Approximately 25-30 minutes. Taste and season accordingly with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Remove from the heat.

This recipe calls for ½ -¾ cup of BBQ sauce. Extra sauce can be stored in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

Prepare the Grill

Preheat your grill to 400-450 degrees. Clean the grill grates and lubricate them with avocado oil right before you are ready to add the protein.

Brushing the grill grates with avocado oil right before adding the meat will prevent the meat from sticking to the grates. Avocado oil has a high smoke point which will also promote a good sear.

Another way to lubricate your grill grates with less flare up than the brushing method, is to tightly roll a clean kitchen towel. Dip the rolled towel in avocado oil until it is moistened. Use metal tongs to grab the towel and carefully rub the grill grates with the tightly rolled avocado oil-soaked towel. This method of lubricating the grill grates causes less flare up from the grill and is just as effective.

Add the chicken breasts to a glass bowl. Add the avocado oil and 1.5 tablespoons of the spice blend. Toss until well coated.

Pour ½ -¾ cup of BBQ sauce into a container. Use this sauce for basting the chicken. Reserve the rest of the BBQ sauce in a jar for another recipe or use as extra sauce for dipping.

Add the seasoned chicken to the prepared grill. Grill for 5-6 minutes before flipping the chicken. Once you flip the chicken baste with the BBQ sauce. Grill for another 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness.

Once the chicken is cooked through, baste both sides with the BBQ sauce before removing the chicken from the grill.

Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and enjoying! Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Store extra spice blend in a spice jar for future use. Store extra BBQ sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

To reheat the chicken, simply microwave until warmed through.

Other Grilled or BBQ Recipes to Consider Trying

• Perfectly Grilled Lobster Tail
• Grilled Balsamic Chicken
• Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken with Mango Salsa
• Grilled Chicken Blackberry Salad
• Juicy Grilled Whole Chicken