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Bon Appétit

Sweet and Sticky Grilled Chicken

3.9

(20)

sheet pan with pieces of chicken
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.

Pantry superstars do the heavy lifting in this easy, crowd-pleasing grilled chicken dinner. It starts with you buying a chicken that’s already been cut in half (which is increasingly easier to find in many supermarkets). If you can’t score one, buy a whole chicken, butterfly it, then split it yourself by slicing directly between the two breasts (you’ll need to exert a little force to get through the breastbone). The result is a chicken dinner with the same properties of spatchcocking (quick-cooking, lots of surface area to get charred, crispy skin) but which is more manageable than dealing with a whole bird.

For the tangy glaze, stir up a few heavy hitters (marmalade, Dijon mustard, and sherry vinegar) and brush them onto the chicken after cooking it most of the way through, covered over indirect heat. For the final 10 to 15 minutes, transfer the chicken halves to direct heat and baste with every flip until glistening and charred. Leftover glaze can be cooked down as a sauce to serve alongside the finished dish. If you’re not into orange marmalade, this method—like any good pantry-forward recipe—is riff-friendly: Use any good quality fruit preserve you love. And if you can’t find chicken halves and don’t want to butcher them yourself, this recipe works just as well with any cut of bone-in, skin-on chicken (just adjust the cook time accordingly). —Zaynab Issa

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1

3½–4-lb. chicken, backbone removed, halved

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

½

cup orange marmalade or seedless jam of choice

⅓

cup Dijon mustard

⅓

cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

3

Tbsp. soy sauce

1

jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)

5

garlic cloves, finely grated

1

Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for grill

Flaky sea salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Generously season chicken halves all over with salt (use about 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt per pound of chicken) and pepper. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes, or chill up to 1 day. If chilling, let sit at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.

    Step 2

    Whisk marmalade, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce, jalapeño (if using), and garlic in a small bowl to combine. Set glaze aside.

    Step 3

    Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off). Lightly oil grate. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, then rub with 1 Tbsp. oil. Place, skin side down, over indirect heat. Cover grill and grill chicken, turning halfway through, until skin is lightly browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thighs registers 120°–130°, 15–20 minutes.

    Step 4

    Uncover grill, turn chicken over, and move over direct heat. Brush chicken with reserved glaze. Grill, turning often and brushing generously with glaze (move to indirect heat if browning too quickly), until charred in spots and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 150° (it will climb to 160° as chicken rests), 10–15 minutes. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to a cutting board; let rest 15 minutes.

    Step 5

    While chicken is resting, transfer any remaining glaze to a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbling and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

    Step 6

    Carve chicken and transfer to a platter; sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with sauce alongside.

    Editor’s note: Head this way for more of our best grilled chicken recipes →

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Reviews (20)

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  • Made this tonight and will make again! Used bone-in skin-on thighs instead of a whole chicken, otherwise made as written. Quick to put together and very flavorful. Glaze thickened right up for sauce upon boiling. Am interested in trying whole chicken next time.

    • TFM

    • Arlington, VA

    • 7/27/2022

  • I made this with apricot jam instead of marmalade and used a bit more than the recipe called for so I could use up the jar. I thought the sweet/sour/spicy balance was just right.

    • Anonymous

    • Chicago, IL

    • 7/19/2022

  • The sauce ingredients sounded good, but it’s not sweet. BBQ Temperatures are not correct as chicken wasn’t completely cooked.

    • Jacquee

    • Denver CO

    • 7/11/2022

  • The glaze is not well balanced. Probably too low on the marmalade. It is not sweet enough and and doesn't caramelize properly.

    • Anonymous

    • Washington DC

    • 6/20/2022