Grilled Chicken with Blood Orange Chimichurri

Disclosure: The Home Depot sponsored this post. Opinions are my own. 

I may know how to grill, but I am not the best gardener. The rabbits and birds seem to enjoy the fruits of my labor, much more than I do. But I am successful at growing herbs every year.

When I have an abundance of them, I like to create quick marinades and sauces. They add such a bright touch to dishes.    

My basic herb marinade (AKA chimichurri) includes olive oil, vinegar, citrus juice, shallots, a little heat and of course herbs. It goes great on grilled chicken, pork, steak and fish.

I enjoy trying different herbs, vinegars and citrus blends to change up the flavor.

For this recipe, I’ve added the juice of a vibrant blood orange, along with fresno peppers, red wine vinegar, cilantro and a touch of mint. 

If you’re not a fan of cilantro, I understand. I used to feel the same way, but it has totally grown on me. I love the bright citrus flavor it adds to foods. 

If you’re not ready to board the cilantro train, just use flat-leaf parsley instead.

Before marinating the chicken in this gorgeous sauce, set aside about a half cup of the chimichurri to use as a garnish after the chicken is grilled. 

Once that’s set aside, place the chicken in a zip-top bag, and add the rest of the chimichurri. Seal the bag and massage it well to help the flavors incorporate into the meat. 

While the chicken is marinating in the fridge, get your grill ready. 

For this recipe, I’m using Kingsford 100% Natural Hardwood Briquets in my kettle grill. 

I like to start briquets in a chimney starter. I simply fill the chimney with charcoal. Then, I crumble two brown lunch sacks in a ball and place them under the chimney and light it. Once the coals start to ash over, it’s ready to dump.

I recommend wearing gloves, because it can be hot. 

After I dump the lit coals into the grill, I add more on top, so I never have to worry about the heat going out. 

You can see the 100% natural hardwood interspersed throughout the Kingsford briquets. That’s going to give you that authentic BBQ flavor without having to add wood chips. 

Once most of the coals are gray, it’s time to cook.

When cooking chicken, you’ll want to setup a direct and indirect heat zone. To do this, just push your coals to one side of the grill. 

Start grilling the chicken over the coals (the direct heat). It will only take 4-5 minutes to form a nice crust.  

Give those birds a flip, and cook them another 4-5 minutes to sear the bottoms. 

Once you have the color you like, move the grilled chicken to the indirect zone and continue cooking it until the breasts reach an internal temperature of 165F degrees. This will take another 5-10 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken breasts are. 

While the chicken is cooking and the direct heat side is freed up, this is a perfect time to grill up some veggies. You could throw on corn, squash, asparagus or even artichokes. 

When the chicken has reached its ideal temp, remove it to a serving platter, and spoon on the reserved chimichurri. 

I usually get more than one cook out of a grill full of coals. After you’re done cooking, simply add the lid to the grill and close up all of the vents. The next time you want to cook, open the vents back up. Place a fire starter in the coals, and light it up. Once most of the coals are lit, add some more coals on top, and grill on.

Check out my other recipe for juicy grilled chicken breasts.