The Easiest Summer Grill-Out Meal

Before this summer, grilling out was intimidating to me because I simply had never been the one in charge of the grill. I'm much more comfortable in the kitchen making the salads and sides, but I wanted to change that. I looked up a few tips on how to not make grilled chicken dry and burnt, and just went for it! I kept it simple and always had a glass of wine in hand to help make it more enjoyable. 

I wanted to write a lay out of how to make an easy dinner on the grill for you and friends to enjoy this summer:

First, start with the protein you want to grill. I chose chicken because it's what I had in the freezer and I knew I wanted something lean and barbecued. I thawed the chicken breasts and marinated them in a low sugar barbecue sauce (linked here) overnight. Fire up the grill to 450 degrees and close the lid to let it heat up. Once the thermometer reaches that temp, use tongs to place the marinated chicken on the grill and close the lid again. After 4-5 minutes, flip each breast and close the lid again, letting the chicken cook for another 4-5 minutes. Take them off the heat and let the chicken sit for a couple minutes. Top with a little more bbq sauce and you're good to go!

Second, choose one grill-able veggie for your first side. I chose asparagus because they do not take long on the grill and I love a good crispy and salty asparagus with my chicken. With the oven at the same temperature for the chicken, place the asparagus on a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and S&P. They took about the same time as the chicken to crisp up!
​Other easy veggies to grill include corn on the cob, peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, onions and zucchini. 

Third, choose a fresh, cold summer salad to make ahead of time. I chopped up some cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, and tossed them with corn, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. This is a great salad base to build off of, and you can add avocado, red onion, arugula or any other seasonal mix ins of choice.

And don't forget, a good chilled white wine or rosé always pairs well with a meal made on the grill! Enjoy the nice weather while it lasts and get outside with friends for dinner.