This Grilled Lemonade Chicken is the perfect summer main course. The lemonade-based marinade is the secret to super flavorful grilled chicken and a nice golden crust.
Place the chicken in a large zip top bag. Whisk together the lemonade, garlic, mustard, oregano, dried onion, cumin, 1 tablespoon salt, and freshly cracked black pepper in a large liquid measuring cup until combined. Pour over the chicken, making sure all the pieces are covered and remove any excess air from the bag before sealing. Transfer to a fridge and let marinate for 4 - 24 hours.
Prepare a grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grill grates.
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Reserve 2 cups of marinade and discard the rest. Place the chicken on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and pat dry. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and arrange the pieces skin-side down on the grill, leaving some space between each. Cook until the skin is lightly charred and releases easily from the grill, about 2 minutes. Rotate the chicken pieces about 90 degrees so the skin won't burn and cook another 2 minutes. Flip the chicken skin-side up. Cover the grill and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each thigh reads 165 degrees F, 20 to 25 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, transfer the reserved marinade to a small non-stick saucepan and place on the hot grill or on a burner inside. Bring to a boil, then continue to cook until it has thickened slightly and reduced by half, about 15-20 minutes.
Zest and juice one of the lemons and stir into the sauce. Transfer to a small bowl for serving. Cut the remaining 2 lemons in half crosswise.
Place the lemon halves on the grill, flesh-side down, and grill until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve alongside the chicken and sauce.
Notes
Use this marinade on any cut of chicken. Just be sure to adjust your cooking time and use a thermometer to check for doneness.