Brickin’ Chicken

 

Nothing is better than barbecue chicken (or grilled, for my American readers), but it’s hard to do bone-in pieces without either undercooking or drying them out.

Bricks are the answer. Yes, you heard me right. Bricks.

“Bricking” uses real building bricks to weigh down meat while grilling. It creates a seared crust but also ensures the meat cooks more evenly. It is often used on chicken halves, so the breast and leg cook at the same rate.

But we use them for chicken thighs, paired with a glaze recipe I got from a Cuisine at Home grilling magazine. Using the bricks means the chicken cooks evenly and quickly, but does not dry out.

This is easy and delicious, and makes for chicken that is crispy on the outside and so juicy inside.

First, find some building bricks and wrap them in tinfoil. This recipe can be for up to eight thighs, but we made only four. My husband was the expert griller in this one. I guess I was the brains and he was the brawn of this operation!

Assemble your ingredients and make the glaze first. You will need frozen orange juice concentrate, fresh lime juice, olive oil, thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt if desired. Mix together and set aside (recipe is below).

Season the thighs with salt and pepper, and heat the grill to medium-high. Once the grill is hot, place the thighs skin side down.

NOTE: You may be thinking – do I have to oil the chicken first? The answer is no. Place them on the grill, place the bricks over top, and cover the BBQ for 8 minutes.

 

 

After 8 minutes, turn the thighs, put the bricks back on, and cook for another 8 minutes (we reduced the time by a minute because the grill was quite hot).

 

 

 

Remove the bricks and set aside. Now dunk the thighs in the glaze, one at a time, and place back on the grill. Cook the thighs 3 minutes per side, basting with more glaze before turning. When done, remove chicken and cover with tin foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. We had ours with BBQ potatoes and corn on the cob.