Orange and Honey Grilled Chicken

It has been really nice down here in Richmond.  So I cleaned the grill out last week and it is officially grilling season.  I wanted to make something new but was’t quite sure.  I also did not want to have to go to the store.  So using what I had in the kitchen, I created this orange and honey chicken. With a little fidgeting, it turned into a great grilling recipe.  It added a nice asian zing to my outdoor grilling experience.

Orange and Honey Grilled Chicken – (adapted from pleclare)- Serves 4

• 1-1.5 pounds chicken, roughly 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups sauce
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 oranges zested, roughly 2-3 tbs
  • 1/2 cup clover or wildflower honey
  • 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • pinch to 1 tsp red pepper flake, depends on the heat you like
  • pinch salt, kosher
  • pinch pepper, freshly cracked

Making the Sauce

Make sure to zest the oranges before juicing them.

In a medium saucepan whisk together the sauce ingredients.

Bring to a boil and then reduce and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the stove and let cool completely before pouring over the chicken.  The quickest way to cool the sauce is to place the pan/bowl in ice water.  Use a large bowl or your sink.  Make sure not to let the ice water go over the top of your pan/bowl.  As you can see I transferred the sauce to a measuring cup and then chilled it in my sink. Stirring the sauce will help it cool faster as the outer edges of the bowl/pan will cool faster.

Time to Marinate

Place the chicken in a zip top bag.  Then once the sauce is cooled pour 3/4 of it over the chicken.  Zip the bag up and place it in the refrigerator.  Let the chicken marinate for at least 3 hours.  Feel free to let this go over night.

Place the remainder of the sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Grilling the Chicken

Set up your grill for medium/high direct cooking, with a portion of the grill set up for indirect cooking.  Basically place the coals to one side of your charcoal grill or turn on all of your burners except for one on a gas grill.

Place the chicken on the grates directly over the heat and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side.  Making sure to brush the chicken with the reserved sauce.

Once you have nice grill lines on each side of the chicken, move the chicken to the indirect part of the grill.  Close the lid and let cook for 10-15 minutes or until the juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink.

Remove and serve.

I find that this goes great over rice.

This chicken was fantastic.  It had a nice Smokey/Sweet flavor that was a hit.