BBQ chicken breasts are a quick and easy way to use the incredibly versatile boneless/skinless chicken breasts for your tailgate party. Today we are also bringing you these side dishes as well, our “Hobo Taters” and grilled asparagus. They are great additions to the Game Day Menu this week.
BBQ Chicken Breasts And More
The boneless/skinless chicken breast is by far one of the more popular cuts of meat ever sold. It is easy to buy and has countless uses in your kitchen or on your grill. They are the base for our infamous chicken fajitas and jambalaya recipes and hundreds more you can find online.
There is however a major difference between grilling up BBQ chicken breasts and using them in those other recipes, the danger of overcooking. Getting the grilled BBQ chicken breasts done correctly without overcooking them is a skill that takes time to learn. For those of us who have had past failures, the answer should never have been “more BBQ sauce.” Serving a dried-out chicken breast with extra BBQ sauce only changes the flavor, not the texture. You would be better off reserving the overcooked breasts then using them later in a stir fry recipe. Trust us on this one.
So how do you not overcook chicken breasts on the grill? One secret is to reduce the size of the breasts before grilling. This will allow the meat to cook more evenly and take less time. Most chicken breasts sold these days are enormous slabs of meat. You will need a sharp knife to filet the breast properly. Take the breast and lay it on its side thick side down. Next, use your sharp knife to cut away the rounded breast portion from the other half of the breast. This will leave you with a breast fillet and strips of breast meat you can use later in other recipes. These strips can be frozen for future use.
Game Day Menu Staging
Now that you know how to prepare your breast fillets for the grill, it’s time to stage your grill menu. The order you should follow is, to begin with, the “Hobo Taters,” followed by the grilled asparagus, then at the end the chicken breasts. This should allow your menu to finish around the same time which makes serving a snap.
Set up your grill with a pyramid of 20-25 charcoal briquettes in the middle of your grill. Light your grill and begin preparing your menu.
Hobo Taters
- 10-12 washed Yukon golden potatoes
- Salt, pepper, granulated garlic, Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
- ¼ stick of butter cut into slices
- Olive oil
- Chopped up sweet onions, jalapenos, tomatoes (all optional)
- Wide aluminum foil
First up to grill is the taters, which take the longest to finish. This recipe is an easy side dish that can be adapted to your tastes. Layout two long strips of wide aluminum foil into a cross on your counter. Take the cleaned potatoes and cut them up into cubes placing them in the middle of the foil as you go. Add in any of the optional chopped vegetables to the pile. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil onto the potatoes then add in your seasonings. Take the butter slices and place them on top of the potatoes.
This next step takes some care to get right. You will take the top sheet of foil and create a tightly sealed pouch. After that, use the bottom sheet of foil to wrap and seal the pouch again. These take about an hour to finish so get them to the grill when the coals are ready. Leave them directly over the coals for 30 minutes then turn them over for another 30 minutes to finish.
Grilled Asparagus
Asparagus is a “super vegetable” that has many admirers and many who won’t even taste it. It also has an infamous side effect that will remind people “oh yeah, I had asparagus” as they relieve themselves in the facilities later on. For more on the incredible health benefits of asparagus check this out from livescience.com:
“In ancient times, asparagus was renowned as an aphrodisiac, and maybe for good reason. This succulent, savory vegetable contains a stimulating blend of nutrients that help boost energy, cleanse the urinary tract and neutralize excess ammonia, which can cause fatigue and sexual disinterest.”
The article will give you all of the amazing health benefits of asparagus and also explain the reason behind the aromatic residuals too. Enjoy!
- 15-20 stalks of cleaned asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, granulated or minced garlic, pepper
- ¼ stick of butter cut into slices
- Wide aluminum foil
Grill Time
We are grilling the asparagus in a foil pouch for ease of preparation and clean up. Take the asparagus spears and cut off the bottom two inches. This part of the vegetable tends to stay fibrous and tough, so it has to go. Lay the spears on top of a long sheet of wide foil. Drizzle on the olive oil and add the seasonings. Place the butter on top of the spears then roll them in the foil into a pouch. Be sure to tuck the ends of the foil early on when rolling so the pouch stays sealed.
The asparagus takes 35-40 minutes to cook so get that to the grill just before you turn over your potato pouch. Place the asparagus pouch next to the potatoes in the center of your grill. It will need to be turned over after 15 minutes so it cooks evenly. Take the asparagus off the grill when you remove the potato pouch after its hour on the grill.
BBQ Chicken Breasts
- Chicken breast fillets
- Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, pepper, Cajun spice, granulated garlic
- Your favorite BBQ sauce
Grilling your chicken breast fillets should take about 20 minutes. Season your fillets on both sides and place them on the outer edge on your grill. The indirect grilling method is perfect for chicken breasts. Direct grilling can cook them too fast, which is to be avoided.
