Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken

Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken

This grilled chicken recipe is all about layers and layers of flavor. Chicken thighs are soaked in a sugar-salt brine to tenderize the meat and add flavor from the inside out, then covered in a lemon-rosemary rub and grilled while basting in butter, rosemary, and dijon mustard.

This is one of my favorite ways to eat chicken in the summer: Quick, easy, and packed with flavor.

If you’re making this as a part of Summer Meal Plan #2, this chicken is used to top tahini dressed salad with roasted carrots, dates, and grilled pineapple. Optional: Grill a few extra pieces to top Spaghetti Puttanesca on Day #5.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken can be cooked on either an outside or indoor grill. Truthfully, I’m not much of an outdoor grilling kind of girl, and almost always “grill” inside using either an electric grill or a cast iron grill pan.

Weekly Meal Plans that include Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken:

Dinner Recipes, Summer Meal Plan #2

Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken

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• Author: RebeccaBlackwell
• Total Time: 60 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup salt
• 3–4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp fresh, minced rosemary
• 3 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

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Instructions

1. Combine sugar and salt in a large bowl and add 3-4 quarts of cold water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt in the water. Submerge the chicken in the water and let it soak in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
2. Combine the zest, oil, 1 tbsp of the rosemary, 1 tbsp of the dijon mustard, 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper in a small dish. Cover and set aside.
3. In small saucepan, add the butter, remaining rosemary, mustard, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, stirring from time to time to combine. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
4. Heat the grill. You can use either an indoor or outdoor grill.
5. Remove the chicken from the brine and dry with paper towels. Lay the chicken on a large plate or platter and rub it with the lemon zest mixture.
6. Grill, basting the chicken with the lemon juice and butter mixture as the chicken cooks. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, or when there is no pink visible when you cut into a piece.