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overhead view of 2 sliced grilled chicken breasts on a white plate.
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5 from 8 votes

Grilled Chicken

I brine large chicken breasts, then coat them in a sweet and savory spice rub to create the juiciest grilled chicken you've ever tasted!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Total Cost: ($9.02 recipe / $2.25 serving)
Servings: 4 (1/2 chicken breast each)
Calories: 253kcal
Author: Jess Rice

Equipment

  • Indoor Grill

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts boneless skinless, (mine weighed 1.61 lbs total) $8.03*

Brine Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup kosher salt $0.14
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar $0.18
  • 2 quarts water $0.00

Rub ingredients:

  • 1 tsp salt $0.01
  • ¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.04
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper $0.06
  • 1 tsp garlic powder $0.15
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika $0.32
  • ½ tsp onion powder $0.08
  • 1 tsp brown sugar $0.01

Instructions

  • Create your wet brine: Combine ¼ cup kosher salt and ¼ cup granulated sugar in 2 quarts of cold water. Whisk to combine.
  • With a fork, poke holes all over the chicken breasts and then transfer to a Ziplock bag. Pound chicken breasts to ½ inch to ¾ inch with a tenderizing mallet or rolling pin inside a Ziplock bag.
  • Pour the wet brine into the Ziplock bag with the tenderized chicken breasts. Close the bag and allow it to brine at room temperature for 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
  • Make the seasoning blend by combining the salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and brown sugar in a bowl.
  • Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, rinse, and pat dry on both sides with paper towels, drizzle with olive oil, and rub with the seasoning blend on both sides.
  • Preheat grill to 475°F. Note: If you are using an indoor grill, we found putting the chicken on the grill while it’s preheating helps get the middle of the breast to temperature in a timely manner and keeps the outside from overcooking and burning. If your chicken has been in the refrigerator, allow it to come to room temperature for at least 10 minutes before starting the grilling process.
  • Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until the internal temp reads between 155-160°F. The chicken will continue to cook while it’s resting (because it’s so hot and juicy!) so you can remove it a little early, just make sure it reaches the internal temperature of 165°F while resting, or you may need to throw it back on the grill for a couple more minutes.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*For this recipe, 1 serving = 6 ounces per person. 3-4 ounces is a typical serving size for chicken, but I was generous and went with 6 ounces per person for this recipe… so you could easily stretch it further if you needed to!

Nutrition

Serving: 6ounces | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 7877mg | Fiber: 1g