There’s a unique way to make Southern-fried chicken, popularized by Bobby Flay, that might change the way you think about grilling and cooking. Using buttermilk and a plethora of spices, you can make fried chicken on the grill, if you know the proper technique. Start with our recipe for crispy buttermilk chicken or use your own favorite recipe, and then utilize this technique to create a unique burst of flavor.
The key is to brine your chicken in the buttermilk and spice mixture. Brining allows the flavor to not only coat the chicken, but really develop its depth when it is cooked. As shown on YouTube, Bobby Flay’s grilled red chile buttermilk chicken includes four chile spices added to the buttermilk, including ancho chili powder, cascabel chile powder, New Mexican chile powder, and chile de arbol powder or cayenne pepper. He then adds cinnamon, garlic powder, coriander, smoked paprika, and onion powder for a blend that brings intense flavor, with some sweetness and a little heat.
After adding this blend or your own favorite spice blend for fried chicken to the buttermilk, let the chicken with skin-on sit in the fridge for at least four hours (or overnight) to soak up all of the flavor. If this is your first time making fried chicken, or you’d like to learn more about brining chicken before cooking it, here are tips for making Southern-fried chicken.
How to make fried chicken on the grill
Once the chicken has sat with the buttermilk mixture, place it on a platter and pat it dry, then let it sit for 30 minutes to dry further to prepare for grilling. Brining the chicken and then drying will optimize it for cooking on the grill, helping it to maintain its juices.
Prepare your favorite glaze to top the chicken while the chicken is drying, or even beforehand when the chicken is brining. Then, baste the chicken in the last few moments of cooking to add taste to the finished product. You can use any glaze you like, such as the one used in our recipe for balsamic glazed fried chicken wings.
Bobby Flay’s glaze recipe combines diced mango, chopped onion and garlic, honey, chili powder, plus orange, pineapple juice and white wine. He cooks this mixture in a sauté pan then purees it to a smooth texture. The sweet mango and honey will caramelize on the hot grill. When the sweet honey and mango pairs with the heat of the chilis and juiciness of the chicken, the result is enhanced flavor.
