Citrus Spiced Grilled Chicken

Sunday dinner came and went again.  I had most of the crowd bring the side dishes and I focused on the main protein, dessert and the appetizer.

For dinner I made this Citrus Spiced Grilled Chicken. It was pretty darn tasty. I love the amount of citrus flavor you get from this recipe. Again, easy to make, and worth it.

One thing I would recommend not doing is marinating for longer than 2 hours. The recipe says 1 to 24, but that's assuming you're using chicken parts. I used just chicken breast and marinated for just about 2 hours.  With all the citrus (read: acid) in this marinade, any longer and the chicken would have been mushy.  I cut my chicken in to pieces and skewered them (thinking I'd get as much marinade as possible around the chicken). Great idea, but some of the smaller pieces were too long in the marinade and got a little - in my opinion - gross and mushy.

Aside from that, I'd make this recipe again and not marinade for as long.

Citrus Spiced Grilled Chicken
Recipe from Cook's Country


Photo by Cook's Country

Serves 4-6

1 onion, chopped course

1 tsp grated lime zest, plus 1/4 cup juice (2 limes)

6 garlic cloves

2 T olive oil

1 T grated orange zest (2 oranges)

2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp ground cloves

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, trimmed (breasts halved crosswise)

1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan (for charcoal grill only)

 

Process onion, lime juice, garlic, oil, orange zest, oregano, salt, lime zest, pepper, lime juice, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds; transfer to zipper-lock bag. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and add to bag, turning to coat. Refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

 

For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely and place pan in center of grill. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into 2 even piles on either side of pan. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

 

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-low. (Adjust burners as needed to maintain grill temperature around 350 degrees.

 

Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken skin side up on grill (in center of grill if using charcoal). Cover and cook until bottom is browned and chicken registers 155 degrees, about 25 minutes.

 

Flip chicken skin side down. If using charcoal, slide chicken to hot part of grill. If using gas, turn all burners to high. Cook until well browned and breasts register 160 degrees and thighs/drumsticks register 175 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve.