Grilled Basil Chicken
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Grilled Sweet and Spicy Basil Chicken — EASY, amazing, PERFECTLY grilled chicken that’s sweet-and-spicy with tons of FRESH basil flavor! Learn how to make the BEST grilled chicken and serve it with a side of lightly charred grilled vegetables! Perfect for summer barbecues, picnics, potlucks, and grilling season!
"This is potentially the best grilled chicken I have ever made.I am not exaggerating. And I have made a lot of grilled chicken in my life! Over 25 different grilled chicken recipes on my blog and this is my current Number One, without a doubt!" Says Averie Sunshine, cookbook author of Averie Cooks.
Sweet and Spicy Grilled Basil Chicken
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Chicken
Cuisine
American
Author:
Averie Sunshine
Cookbook author Averie Sunshine of Averie Cooks wrote this recipe for us.
It's a super easy to make chicken recipe that will be your go-to for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness or sliced thin
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½ jar of Sweet and Spicy Cayenne Grilling Sauce, divided
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3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
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2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice may be substituted
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2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
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⅓ cup finely minced fresh basil leaves, for garnishing; or as desired
Directions
Pound chicken to an even thickness with a meat tenderizer (or use thin-cut chicken breasts). Tip – It's important that chicken is a uniform thickness so it cooks evenly. If you're newer to grilling, working with thinner-cut breasts is often easier to judge when the chicken is done.
To a large ziptop bag, add the chicken, add about 1/3 cup of Sweet and Spicy Cayenne Grilling Sauce (use Sticky Sweet Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce instead if you're concerned about spiciness), the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, seal bag, and squish the contents around to evenly coat all the pieces of chicken. Tips – Always add salt to your taste preferences. However adding enough salt + the acidity of the vinegar in the marinade mixture really helps the chicken to not only taste good, but it will absorb essential moisture as it marinates and be juicier in the end.
Place bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to about 6-8 hours
Preheat your outdoor gas grill to medium-high heat. Tip – Make sure the heat level of your grill is in the medium to medium-high range, but not on high or you will burn the chicken due to the sugar content in the marinade and sauce!
Place the chicken breasts on the grill grates, close the lid, and leave the chicken breasts there about 4 to 5 minutes before you open the lid and gently lift one corner of one of the breasts with a tongs. If it releases easy, it's ready to be flipped. If not, let it cook for another minute or two. Tips – Always cook chicken based on how long it needs to be cooked based on the heat intensity and output of your grill, the thickness and size of your chicken, etc. Times will vary and so use my time estimates as a guideline only.
Grill the chicken on the second side for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until nearly done.Evenly brush a generous amount of Sweet and Spicy Cayenne Grilling Sauce over the top of each chicken breast, close the lid, turn the heat down if necessary, and allow it to sit for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it's a bit thicker and has set up a bit.
Remove the chicken from the grill, place it on a platter, and I always recommend allowing the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it so the natural juices stay sealed in.
Garnish liberally with fresh basil and serve warm.
