Description
Sizzling Grilled Hot Honey Chicken with Sweet Corn Salad delivers a mouthwatering southern-inspired feast that balances spicy-sweet flavors perfectly. Crisp corn and juicy chicken create a harmonious summer meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Seasonings and Spices:
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for extra heat)
Liquids and Sauces:
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
- ⅓ cup (79 milliliters) honey
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) hot sauce (like Sriracha or your favorite)
Salad Ingredients:
- 3 ears fresh corn, kernels removed (or 2 cups frozen, thawed)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup cucumber, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Craft a zesty marinade by whisking olive oil with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a mixing vessel.
- Thoroughly coat chicken pieces with the aromatic spice blend, ensuring complete coverage.
- Concoct a fiery-sweet glaze by blending honey, hot sauce, and optional red pepper flakes in a separate container.
- Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high temperature, creating optimal searing conditions.
- Position marinated chicken on heated surface, allowing robust caramelization and deep flavor development.
- Cook chicken approximately 5-7 minutes per side, monitoring internal temperature carefully.
- As chicken approaches perfect doneness, generously brush with prepared hot honey glaze.
- While chicken grills, assemble vibrant corn salad by combining fresh corn kernels, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, minced red onion, and chopped herbs.
- Elevate salad with bright citrus notes by drizzling lime juice and extra virgin olive oil.
- Season corn mixture with complementary salt and pepper, gently tossing to distribute flavors.
- Transfer perfectly grilled, glossy chicken to serving plates alongside colorful corn salad.
- Optional: Enhance dish with additional hot honey drizzle for adventurous palates.
Notes
- Marinading Tip: Let chicken sit in the spice mixture for 30 minutes before grilling to enhance flavor penetration and tenderness.
- Heat Control: Use medium-high grill temperature to achieve perfect char marks without burning the honey glaze, which can quickly caramelize.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Replace hot sauce with gluten-free alternatives and verify all seasoning ingredients are certified gluten-free for sensitive diets.
- Vegetarian Swap: Substitute chicken with firm tofu or grilled portobello mushrooms, maintaining the same marinade and grilling technique for similar flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 90mg