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Grilled chicken on a grill

Grilled Chicken on the Rack

Cook this tender chicken in a zesty marinade — you won't be sorry! Both the cooking method and the marinade here are a little out of the ordinary, and the flavor will wow you and everyone else who polishes off these tasty morsels in no time. Chicken grilled on a rack over coals pairs beautifully not just with all kinds of sides, but with vegetables too — and not only fresh ones, since you can grill them right alongside the chicken. This meat dish is just as at home on a weeknight as it is at a celebration. You can eat it hot or cold and pack it up for work or a road trip. And what's more, the leftovers make a wonderful soup — give it a try!

wella

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Chicken

700

Onion

100

Lemon

Adjika

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Soy sauce

0.5

Salt

Dry spices

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 35 % 12 g

Fats 59 % 20 g

Carbohydrates 6 % 2 g

234 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

Naturally, it all starts with the coals. Time things so they're ready right as the meat finishes marinating — assuming you're building your own fire. Stores do sell ready-made charcoal, but coals from a real fire are somehow more fragrant. Anyway, moving on. Take a whole chicken and rinse it. Let the skin dry — which, by the way, I decided to leave on this time.
Step 2:

Then cut it into large pieces. (I skipped the breast, since it turns tough on the grill even with sour cream or mayonnaise marinades.) How much meat you use depends on how many hungry people are waiting. You can marinate a big batch and finish any extra at home in a skillet. I added a few extra drumsticks.
Step 3:

I usually don't add onion to chicken — maybe some delicate vegetables at most. But this time I decided to slice up a little onion, more for the aroma than to actually eat.
Step 4:

The marinade — so much depends on it. When I grill chicken on the rack, I never use vinegar. Never. There are gentler ways to marinate, like this one. I combined all the ingredients listed in the recipe. You can adjust the amounts (especially the soy sauce!) and the ratios; I liked it with a bit more adjika (a spicy pepper-and-garlic paste).
Step 5:

I purposely kept the lemon out of the marinade — like vinegar, it can toughen the meat. Instead, I cut the lemon into a few wedges. What for? You'll see below!
Step 6:

So, once the marinade was mixed, I stirred in the onion and added the chicken pieces. Work the marinade into the meat well and let it sit for 15–20 minutes. (You can also pound the pieces lightly with a mallet beforehand.)
Step 7:

Lay the marinated pieces on the grill rack and set it over the coals, which should be ready by now. Grill, turning the rack often, until done — usually no more than 30 minutes. At the very end, squeeze the lemon wedges right over everything for a bright spritz of juice.
Step 8:

Delicious? That's an understatement! Out in the open air, it's pure magic!

A few more tips: you can grill the chicken in pieces or whole, butterflied like a spatchcocked bird. Skin on or off? That's up to you! Use whatever marinade you like, dry rubs or your own favorite mix. And grilling doesn't have to mean a big outing — you can set up a grill in a quiet spot right by the house. Marinating time is entirely your call, but the longer the meat sits in the marinade, the juicier and tastier it comes out. In place of adjika, use tomato paste or the like. The cooking time given includes building the fire and getting the coals ready.