Grilled Chicken

5 from 10 votes

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

Cook Time10

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Total Cost: $5.13 recipe / $1.28 serving

Servings: (½ chicken breast each)

Calories: 253kcal

Author: Jess Rice

Equipment

Indoor Grill
Zip Top Bag

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts boneless skinless, (mine weighed 1.61 lbs total) $4.14*

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

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Create your wet brine: Combine ¼ cup (70g) kosher salt and ¼ cup (70g) granulated sugar in 2 quarts (1.9 litre) of cold water. Whisk to combine.
With a fork, poke holes all over the chicken breasts and then transfer to a zip-top bag. Pound chicken breasts to ½ inch to ¾ inch with a tenderizing mallet or rolling pin inside a zip-top bag.
Pour the wet brine into the zip-top 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 / 240C / 220C fan or Gas Mark 9. 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 (68-71C) 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 (74C) 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 (170g) per person. 3-4 ounces (90-140g) is a typical serving size for chicken, but I was generous and went with 6 ounces (170g) per person for this recipe… so you could easily stretch it further if you needed to!

Note on chicken pricing: I bought chicken breasts in bulk at Walmart for $2.57/lb, so the 1.61 lbs used here came to $4.14. I froze the extra chicken in 2-breast portions so I could thaw only what I needed later. The smaller packs (3-4 chicken breast packs) cost more per pound, so your total may vary by package weight and store.

Grilled chicken marinade: This recipe uses a brine and dry spice rub instead of a marinade, which keeps the chicken juicy while giving the outside a smoky, lightly caramelized flavor. If you want a marinade instead, skip the brine and spice rub in this recipe and try the marinade in our grilled honey lime chicken for sweet, tangy citrus flavor or our chimichurri grilled chicken for a garlicky herb marinade. They're different from the dry spice rub I use here, but both are great options when you want a marinated grilled chicken breast.

Sodium note: The nutrition calculator includes all of the salt in the brine, but most of the brine is discarded before cooking. The actual sodium absorbed by the chicken will be much lower.

Nutrition