The Husband's Grilled Chicken

Let me brag on my man for a minute. Not only is he an all-around swell guy, he's also a grill master. Armed with his trusty Weber, he can barbecue the best burgers, steaks, and pork chops I've tasted. My current favorite of his culinary masterpieces: Grilled Chicken.

When most people think of grilled chicken, they picture a boneless, skinless chicken breast that is charred beyond recognition. It's dry, bland, and all-around terrible. But the husband has solved the problem of grilled chicken.

He starts with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Using bone-in chicken adds extra flavor. The skin helps protect the chicken, and its rendered fat bastes the chicken as it cooks. Then he adds a flavorful spice rub to give the mild meat extra pizzazz. Seasoning the chicken the night before really allows the flavor to sink in. He grills the meat over high heat to crisp up the skin, then moves it to low heat to finish cooking without drying out.

Put the husband's Grilled Chicken on your menu for this weekend. Let us know how you like it, and post your pics to our Facebook page or share them on Instagram with the hashtag #HDHH. We can't wait to see what you've been up to!

Let's get cooking grilling!
Erin

The Husband's Grilled Chicken

Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces - We use breasts, legs, and thighs.
BBQ Spice Rub (see recipe below)

Use your fingers to gently lift the skin away from the chicken while still leaving it attached. Generously sprinkle BBQ Spice Rub in the pockets you create under the skin as well as on top of the skin. Cover chicken with plastic wrap and allow it to sit in the fridge overnight if possible. This helps the flavor sink into the meat. (If you forgot to plan ahead, oh well! Just proceed to the grill!)

Pull chicken out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.

Meanwhile, preheat charcoal grill to medium hot with a double-banked fire. (That means you make a pile of charcoal on both sides of your grill, but leave the middle empty.)

Place chicken skin side-down over the hot part of the grill. (The sides with the coals.) This crisps up the skin. Cook chicken about 6 minutes, until the skin is browned.

Flip chicken and continue cooking over direct heat to crisp up the other side for 5-6 minutes longer. Then move chicken (still skin-side up) to the middle, cooler section of the grill. (If your grill has a thermometer, make sure the temperature is around 375-400 degrees.) Finish cooking the chicken over indirect heat until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 5-6 minutes longer.

Remove chicken to a plate, tent with foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

BBQ Spice Rub
1/4 cup chili powder (I use Penzey's Chili 9000.)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store covered at room temperature until you're ready to use it. This recipe makes quite a bit of  seasoning, so you might not use it all at once. You can store any extra BBQ Rub in a sealed container at room temperature for a few weeks.