Chicken breast you say?

Generally I am opposed to just plain old chicken breasts. They don't really have a lot of flavor, the boneless/skinless variety usually dry out too quick, and most of the time I feel like my charcoal is better used elsewhere.

But, as some of you know I am trying to eat a little healthier these days and both the doctor and the weight watchers folks say that means I have to diversify my protein selection. I tried to explain that pork is very diverse you have pork chops, bacon, pork loin, pork butt, tenderloin, sausage... But alas I did not prevail and as a result I have been looking for more lean protein in my diet.

Which means, CHICKEN BREASTS. Boneless. Skinless. Chicken breasts.

As with most things done on the grill, planning is always your friend. I have found that a decent rub for chicken can do wonderful things. I rarely measure, but below is a rough approximation of a decent chicken rub/seasoning I have used lately.

- 3T oregano (dried, don't use fresh for this)
- 2T each cumin, kosher salt, chilli powder
-1T each garlic powder, onion powder, coriander
- 1/2 T black pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste ( I use about 1-2 tsp, but I like things hot)

Before applying the seasoning, process the chicken breasts by trimming any excess fat or tendons. After trimming the chicken you need to "filet" the breast. Hold the "smooth" side of the breast on the fingers of your right hand using your thumb to apply pressure to the "rough" side. Using your other thumb break the tendons that hold the rough side of the breast together. After you are done, you might have some parts of the breast that are very thick, it could be beneficial (but not necessary) to flatten these a bit with a mallet (don't crazy and turn it into a cutlet...)

The purpose of all that processing is to ultimately deliver a flavorful, delicious, moist piece of chicken. The hardest part about chicken is cooking it throughly without drying it out. By filleting the breast and flattening the thick parts we increase the ratio of surface area to mass. Increasing the surface area improves cooking times and gives us more area to season, leading to a higher deliciousness quotient.

Pat the breasts dry and then apply a light coat of oil. (I just use a canola oil cooking spray). Season the meat evenly on all side. The recipe above should season at least 2-3 lbs of chicken.
Allow the chicken to sit for at least an hour, preferably overnight.



Cook the chicken on a hot grill for about 5 minutes on one side, then flip, cooking about 3 min more. If your grill is hot and chicken completely thawed this should be enough time.

Allow the chicken to rest before serving. By the way, I find it useful to cook extra chicken on the weekends and then we use for lunches/meals in the week. Today I am cooking 8 pounds to use in soup, enchiladas, chicken salads, and a sandwich or two. (If your applications are more Mexican in nature use extra chilli, cayenne, cumin, and coriander)