The "Ultimate" Grilled Honey-Teriyaki Chicken

With the regular season of tv shows coming to an end and the summer line-up not starting yet I had a lull on our dvr. This just  meant I had to fill up the space with some cooking shows (are you seeing a theme here?!). I had recorded the show Tyler’s Ultimate, where he gives you the best/ultimate recipe for a specific type of food. Last week’s episode was Ultimate Teryaki Chicken, which who doesn’t love. This was the first night this week that both Jason and I were home for dinner and actually had time to shop and prep this meal.

It has been hot and humid here and today was the first day we went to the pool in our development. But before we could go I put together the brine for the chicken. The recipe calls for a whole chicken cut up, but I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs to be a little bit healthier. Our herb garden has grown so much and I was able to use the fresh thyme from there!

The brine was super simple since everything just went into a big plastic bag and shook it up. Then I added the chicken and put it in a Tupperware container or any other bowl just in case there are any leaks so you don’t have chicken and juice all over your fridge. Let it sit for 1-2 hours but not too long or it will get sour. This left enough time for us to head to the pool

When we came back I took the chicken out and started to make the glaze on the stove. Jason wanted to help so he patted the chicken dry with paper towels and then drizzled with some sesame oil. Since we used boneless and skinless chicken we brushed the glaze on both sides and put it on the grill.

 Once it was done it was ready to take off the grill and serve! It turned out great with the chicken nice and moist from cooking on lower heat on the grill and the glaze was sweet and tangy from the ginger. It definitely made it into our recipe book to make again.

Grilled Honey-Teriyaki Chicken

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 whole organic chicken, cut into 10 pieces (I used boneless skinless breasts and thighs)

Brine:

2 cups water

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 head garlic, unpeeled

4 slices fresh ginger root, gently bashed to open up

2 tablespoons kosher salt

8 sprigs fresh thyme

Glaze:

2 cups teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup honey

1 large (1-inch) piece fresh ginger root, sliced and bashed to open up

1 head garlic, halved crosswise

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, plus 1/2 cup

Freshly ground black pepper

Scallion threads, for garnish

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions:

1. Begin by making the brine. Combine the water, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, salt and thyme in a large resealable bag and swirl to dissolve the sugar. Add chicken pieces and allow to brine for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat grill to low-medium heat.
3. Make teriyaki glaze: In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine teriyaki sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and simmer until rich and slightly reduced.
4. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. Discard the brine. Add the chicken to a large mixing bowl, drizzle with the 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat and cook on a low-medium grill for 17 to 20 minutes per side until cooked through. Baste with teriyaki glaze for the last 5 to 7 minutes of cooking. Serve garnish with scallion threads (finely sliced scallions cut on the bias soaked in ice cold water), and toasted sesame seeds.

Source: Tyler Florence