SWEET AND SPICY GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken Breasts image

Brown sugar gives these grilled chicken breasts a glistening glaze and caramel-like sweetness, while mustard powder and cayenne add an earthy kick. If you don't want to bother making a mustard sauce for dipping, just serve these with dollops of good, strong Dijon mustard on the side. A crisp salad and some grilled corn completes the meal. And if you prefer dark meat, this recipe will also work with boneless, skinless thighs, though you might have to add a minute or so to the cooking time. Or use a combination of breasts and thighs for maximum crowd appeal.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives

Steps:

Place chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound each to an even thickness of 1/2 inch. Do not make them any thinner or they could dry out.
In a small bowl, combine sugar, coriander, salt, mustard powder and cayenne. Place chicken breasts in a bowl and rub well with spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Remove chicken from fridge while you heat the grill.
Light the grill, building a hot fire, or heat your gas grill to high. Once grill is fully heated, brush breasts lightly with olive oil and place chicken on the grill. Cook until undersides are browned and chicken is about halfway cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip breasts and grill until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
Transfer chicken to a platter. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard and chives. Whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Serve chicken with mustard for dipping.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 282, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 6 grams, Fat 10 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 39 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 458 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams