Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken Breasts

By Melissa Clark

Updated August 21, 2022

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating
Rating
4(2,215)
Comments
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Brown sugar gives these grilled chicken breasts a glistening glaze and caramel-like sweetness, while mustard powder and cayenne add an earthy kick. If you don’t want to bother making a mustard sauce for dipping, just serve these with dollops of good, strong Dijon mustard on the side. A crisp salad and some grilled corn completes the meal. And if you prefer dark meat, this recipe will also work with boneless, skinless thighs, though you might have to add a minute or so to the cooking time. Or use a combination of breasts and thighs for maximum crowd appeal.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard powder

  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne

  • 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

  • 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

6 grams carbs; 124 milligrams cholesterol; 282 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 10 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 459 milligrams sodium; 39 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound each to an even thickness of ½ inch. Do not make them any thinner or they could dry out.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, combine sugar, coriander, salt, mustard powder and cayenne. Place chicken breasts in a bowl and rub well with spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Remove chicken from fridge while you heat the grill.

  3. Step 3

    Light the grill, building a hot fire, or heat your gas grill to high. Once grill is fully heated, brush breasts lightly with olive oil and place chicken on the grill. Cook until undersides are browned and chicken is about halfway cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip breasts and grill until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer chicken to a platter. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard and chives. Whisk in 1 ½ tablespoons oil. Serve chicken with mustard for dipping.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,215 user ratings
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Comments

Laura

I almost hate to point this out, but not everyone has a grill. Can some of these recipes be modified for city dwellers who don't have a back yard or a grill, or either?

John H

Instead of doing whole chicken breasts, I cut the breasts into chunks and added the seasoning then skewered the chunks and grilled. Served with rice and grilled vegetables. Terrific, a new favorite.

brigitte

use a cast iron grill pan. i get great results with mine.

starasia starr

Rainy holiday weekend so I baked them at 425 in the oven. Came out perfectly moist and only marinated for one hour. I loved the hint about pounding with a rolling pin. Now I never need to buy a mallet. Unfortunately, the coriander dominated the entire flavor, and not in a good way. All four of us hated it. We had to douse it in bbq sauce to eat it. Therefore, it gets two stars as written. I would give it maximum stars if there was a different flavor profile.

Amy

Very nice and simple recipe. I did prepare this on an outdoor grill. Refrigerated for about 2 hours. Chicken came out moist and flavorful. I used the rub, but didn't feel that the dipping sauce was needed. The chicken tasted great on its own.

Kate on Oregon Coast

Funny story- I found this recipe a few summers ago and used it over and over. However, around the 5th time I made it I pulled up the recipe once more and realized that I had been putting the Dijon, chives and olive oil in the marinade itself instead of a dipping sauce... whoops. I decided I would make it correctly and have to say I enjoyed my iteration more- the moisture and tang from the oil and Dijon are fantastic. Try it out! Copied from earlier post.

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