Tailgating: Spicy Dry Rubbed Honey Chicken

Chicken is the most versatile ingredient protein. You can cook it a number of ways, cut it up, shred it, pound it flat, bread it, fry it, etc. You get my drift. We would all be lying if we said there wasn't a star chicken dish at all of our football tailgates.


The Ultimate Grilled Chicken
Nothing tastes better at a BBQ than a smokey piece of grilled chicken. Pouring a bottle of barbeque sauce can end up with chicken that is just oh k. However, I must admit, there are some great sauces out there, like Jack Daniels BBQ marinades. If you do use a store bought marinade (there are so many now), I always say to doctor it up. I love adding honey and orange juice to store bought BBQ when I am in a hurry. Play around :)

I say its better to make the marinade yourself. Any marinade you put on the meat can either make it sink or swim, but if you know what you are putting into it, it has to be good. Therefore, here is my favorite game day grilled chicken!



Spicy Dry Rubbed Honey Chicken

This recipe is great because is accents the taste of the grill so well. You can also make it spicier by adding more chili powder. The sweet, spicy, smokey taste is my favorite.

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 cup Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Sidenote: What to MAKE SURE to do before going to the tailgate: You must warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well.

Wash and dry your chicken. Do not cut off excess fat, as you want to leave this on for the grilling process to make sure it stays moist! Combine the granulated garlic, chili powder, onion powder, coriander, salt, cumin, and chipotle chili powder in a bowl.
Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all. Make sure to completely coat this chicken. Grill chicken for 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.If you need more time, give it more time, but don't make the chicken dry! Take the glaze and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.