Buttermilk Marinated Grilled Chicken
Vinegar and citrus are common meat marinades, because the acids in these products help loosen the tight protein bonds in the meat, making it more tender and ultimately more flavorful. Buttermilk and yogurt are also acidic, and when combined with herbs and seasonings create a marinade with an underlying richness that yields a moist and flavorful piece of meat.
We used bone-in chicken breasts for this dish, but boneless, skinless chicken breasts will work just as well. Remember that marinating chicken for too long will make the meat mushy. The USDA says chicken can marinate in buttermilk for up to 48 hours, but we feel that's far too long. Twelve hours at the most is more than sufficient for the purposes of this dish, and we suggest it should be more like 6-8 hours. Put it in before lunch, and it's ready for dinner.
Extended preparation time includes 6 hours for marination.
- 1 cup low fat buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons Flippin The Bird chicken seasoning
- 2 whole bone-in chicken breasts, about 2 pounds total
- In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and Flippin' The Bird seasoning. Mix to combine.
- Pour the seasoning buttermilk into a zip top bag large enough to hold the chicken and the marinade. You can also use a shallow glass dish covered with plastic wrap. Just make sure the marinade covers the chicken completely.
- Close the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken pieces. You can do the same thing with the glass dish, it's just a little messier.
- Place chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for at least an hour and as long as 8 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place the chicken on the grill skin side down over direct heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until skin is seared.
- Turn chicken and cook another 3-4 minutes.
- Turn off heat to one side of the grill or prepare your charcoal for indirect heat and move the chicken to the indirect heat part of the grill.
- Close the lid and let the chicken roast for about 30-45 minutes until cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Remove chicken from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
