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Grilled Honey Mustard Glazed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

By Keith Dresser

Published on August 7, 2013

Time

1¼ hours, plus 30 minutes brining

Yield

Serves 4

Grilled Honey Mustard Glazed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

Chicken

¼ cup table salt ¼ cup sugar 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed2 teaspoons nonfat dry milk powder¼ teaspoon pepper Vegetable oil spray

Honey Mustard Glaze

2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons corn syrup 1 garlic clove, minced¼ teaspoon ground fennel seed

Instructions

    for the chicken

  1. Dissolve salt and sugar in 1½ quarts cold water. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
  2. for the glaze

  3. Meanwhile, whisk vinegar and cornstarch together in small saucepan until cornstarch has dissolved. Whisk in mustard, honey, corn syrup, garlic, and fennel seeds. Bring mixture to boil over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer glaze to bowl.
  4. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Combine milk powder and pepper in bowl.
  5. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour two thirds evenly over half of grill, then pour remaining coals over other half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to medium-high.
  6. Clean and oil cooking grate. Sprinkle half of milk powder mixture over 1 side of chicken. Lightly spray coated side of chicken with oil spray until milk powder is moistened. Flip chicken and sprinkle remaining milk powder mixture over second side. Lightly spray with oil spray.
  7. Place chicken, skinned side down, over hotter part of grill and cook until browned on first side, 2 to 2½ minutes. Flip chicken, brush with 2 tablespoons glaze, and cook until browned on second side, 2 to 2½ minutes. Flip chicken, move to cooler side of grill, brush with 2 tablespoons glaze, and cook for 2 minutes. Repeat flipping and brushing 2 more times, cooking for 2 minutes on each side. Flip chicken, brush with remaining glaze, and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled Honey Mustard Glazed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Save

Time

1¼ hours, plus 30 minutes brining

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken

¼ cup table salt
¼ cup sugar
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 teaspoons nonfat dry milk powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
Vegetable oil spray

Honey Mustard Glaze

2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon ground fennel seed

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Chicken

¼ cup table salt
¼ cup sugar
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 teaspoons nonfat dry milk powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
Vegetable oil spray

Honey Mustard Glaze

2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon ground fennel seed

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Chicken

¼ cup table salt
¼ cup sugar
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 teaspoons nonfat dry milk powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
Vegetable oil spray

Honey Mustard Glaze

2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon ground fennel seed

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

To produce great grilled flavor and glaze the meat in a relatively short period of time, we brine the meat while the grill heats to season it and keep it moist during cooking. Milk powder hastens the Maillard reaction and provides a surface for the glaze to adhere to. For a savory glaze with balanced flavor, we use a small amount of corn syrup, which is less sweet than other sweeteners, to provide viscosity but not a lot of sweetness.

Instructions

    for the chicken

  1. Dissolve salt and sugar in 1½ quarts cold water. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
  2. for the glaze

  3. Meanwhile, whisk vinegar and cornstarch together in small saucepan until cornstarch has dissolved. Whisk in mustard, honey, corn syrup, garlic, and fennel seeds. Bring mixture to boil over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer glaze to bowl.
  4. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Combine milk powder and pepper in bowl.
  5. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour two thirds evenly over half of grill, then pour remaining coals over other half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to medium-high.
  6. Clean and oil cooking grate. Sprinkle half of milk powder mixture over 1 side of chicken. Lightly spray coated side of chicken with oil spray until milk powder is moistened. Flip chicken and sprinkle remaining milk powder mixture over second side. Lightly spray with oil spray.
  7. Place chicken, skinned side down, over hotter part of grill and cook until browned on first side, 2 to 2½ minutes. Flip chicken, brush with 2 tablespoons glaze, and cook until browned on second side, 2 to 2½ minutes. Flip chicken, move to cooler side of grill, brush with 2 tablespoons glaze, and cook for 2 minutes. Repeat flipping and brushing 2 more times, cooking for 2 minutes on each side. Flip chicken, brush with remaining glaze, and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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