Grilled Lemonade Chicken
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.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 8 small bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters
- 4 cups Florida Natural® Lemonade
- 4 cloves garlic finely grated
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons granulated onion powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Oil for the grill
- 3 large lemons
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 277mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 3mg