Grilled Chicken Breasts
88kcal0.2g protein6.8g fat7.1g carbs*Estimates computed from the ingredient list; cost uses average US supermarket prices. Not a substitute for packaging measurements or your receipt.
only in an optional ingredient: dairy
Restrictions
Only if you add itdairy (butter)Leave that ingredient out and the dish does not have it.
Diets
No porkNo alcohol
Worked out from the ingredient list. It knows nothing about brands, shared equipment or cross contamination, and it is not a certification — if you have an allergy, you still have to read the label.
Ingredients
Servings:
| 2 unit |  chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, pounded to even thickness) |
| 1 l | water (cold) |
| 3 tbsp | salt (for the brine) |
| 1 tbsp |  sugar |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil |
| ½ tsp |  black pepper (coarse ground) |
| ½ tsp |  garlic powder |
| ½ tsp |  paprika |
| 1 pinch | salt (to finish) |
Optional
Not counted above. The dish works without them.
| 1 unit |  lemon (wedges) |
| ½ tsp | smoked paprika (in place of sweet) |
| 2 sprig |  thyme (sprigs, tossed on the coals) |
| 1 tbsp |  butter (melted, brushed at the rest) |
| ¼ tsp |  cayenne pepper |
Steps
- Pound5 minbetween plastic, flat side of a malletchicken breasts pounded from the thick end out to a uniform 3/4 inch — a breast is a wedge, and untouched it gives you a raw center and a chalky tail off the same fire. Even thickness is the single largest lever on this dish, larger than the brine
- Brine30 mincold water, refrigeratedwater + salt + sugar stirred until dissolved, then the breasts submerged. Salt loosens the muscle proteins so they hold water through cooking, which is why brined chicken survives an extra 90 seconds on the grill; the sugar is there for browning, not sweetness. Do not go past 45 minutes or the texture turns spongy and cured
- Rest5 minpatted bone-drybrined breasts rinsed briefly and blotted hard with towels — a wet surface spends its first two minutes boiling off water at 212°F, and nothing browns until that water is gone. Dry meat sears; damp meat greys
- Season2 min+ olive oil rubbed thin, then black pepper + garlic powder + paprika. Oil goes on the meat, not the grate, so the spices stick and the grate stays clean. No brine-side salt here — the brine already salted the interior
- Grill6 mindirect heat, hot side, lid openbreasts down over the fire, 3 minutes per side, moved only once. Pressing or flipping repeatedly interrupts the crust; leave them until the marks are set and the meat releases on its own
- Grill6 minindirect heat, lid closedseared breasts slid to the cool side and covered until the thickest point reads 160°F. The cool side cooks by surrounding air rather than contact, so the center catches up without the crust going bitter — this is the whole reason for a two-zone fire
- Rest8 minloosely tented, off heatchicken tented on a warm plate. Carryover carries it from 160°F to a safe 165°F without further cooking, and the juices held under pressure in the fibers redistribute — cut it now and that liquid runs onto the board instead of staying in the meat. Finishing salt and a lemon wedge at the table