my father-in-law makes the best grilled chicken. my wife loves it. i’ve been attempting over the years to replicate his method, but even still, she doesn’t talk about my chicken, she still talks about her dad’s chicken. 😂
this past weekend, i spent time watching and asking him about the details… again. here’s what I have so far.
Fresh chicken breasts are obviously better. If they are huge, filet or fbutterfly them to make them manageable. Tenders work well too. For breasts, its extra work, but removing the large tendon makes it just that much better.
Marinade:
- 24oz bottle of Wishbone brand Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
- Chicken seasoning/rub, can be any kind of all season rub or season salt like Lawry’s
Glaze:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbs honey
season chicken with rub and place in a dish deep enough to cover the chicken. One mistake i think i make is over loading a single container with layers of chicken. Don’t do this. pour in enough marinade to cover chicken. cover the container and store in the fridge for at least 4 hours up to over night.
Sam uses a weber gas grill and cooks them with direct heat. I use a weber kettle charcoal grill and cook them indirect, finishing over the direct heat. I don’t think this has a dramatic effect on the taste and my chicken is just as tender and juicy as his. When you put it on the grill, pour the extra marinade on the chicken.
Once the chicken is on, melt butter in a small saucepan on the stove. Add brown sugar and a little honey and let combine until the sugar is dissolved.
While its cooking, about halfway through, add a bit more soy sauce to each piece. When the chicken is nearly done, brush the brown sugar mixture over the top of each piece.
Hopefully this is the magic formula. We will see this weekend.