Thin cut chicken breast grilled on the BBQ
Time to have perfectly seared chicken breasts. All you need is a sharp knife to trim the chicken breast into uniform thinner fillets. The Kitchen Bucket List uses a homemade lemon pepper rub and honey mustard marinade that makes every bite sweet and delectable. Oh, don't throw away those small pieces use them in one of our chicken nugget recipes.
Equipment
- BBQ
- BBQ spatula
- BBQ tongs
- Marinating container
- Instant read thermometer
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts
Lemon pepper dry rub
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
Honey mustard marinade
- 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Make the lemon pepper rub and honey mustard marinade.
- In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, celery salt, lemon pepper, and celery seed. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the Dijon mustard and the honey. Set aside.
Trim the chicken breast, rub, and marinate.
- Unpacked the chicken breasts. Pat dry with a paper towel and place on a tray.
- Trim the chicken breasts to about equal sizes and thicknesses. This lets them cook more evenly.NOTE: Remember not to throw away those small pieces use them in one of our chicken nugget recipes.
- Rub each thin cut chicken breast with the lemon pepper seasoning and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to dry brine.
- Bring the chicken back out to the counter and gently coat every breast with the honey mustard marinade. Place back and refrigerate to marinate for a minimum of an hour to 24 hours.
Fire up the BBQ
- Fire up the BBQ and get it ready for direct heating. It will be above 400℉. Since the lid will be closed for part of the cook you can throw your favorite smoking wood in to add a subtle hint of smoke.
- Once you have an even layer of hot charcoal under the grill grates place the thin chicken breasts on.
- Grill for 2 minutes then close the lid for 4 minutes. Now just flip and grill the other side for 2 minutes. Check the internal temperature before you close the lid. If the temperature is coming up fast to 165℉, check the breast sooner for the final temperature. For our cook, it was another 4 minutes.NOTE: Leaving the lid up aids in keeping the heat up for a good sear. Once you close it it tamps down the fire and aids in convection cooking.
- Once the chicken has reached 165℉ internal temperature, pull it.
- Place the chicken on a serving plate and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
- Planning. I like to start this recipe in the morning or evening before. It works great either way. I can let the chicken dry brine for 4 or so hours then add the honey mustard marinade and if it goes longer no problem. It is just more flavor.
- What if you left the breast whole? You can do this too. It just takes a bit more work and knowing your BBQ. First, place the thinner portion of the breast towards your cooler side of the grill. When you go to flip check to see that the breast has changed color at least halfway up before flipping. Additionally, start grilling on the rounded side first. Then finish with the wider side to have better control of the final temperature. Check the breast temperatures for doneness, as you may need to reposition them on the grill for more even cooking. Finally, the lid closed portion of the cook will be longer. So use the recipe cards information as a guide.
