One of my favorite things about summer is grilling out. Nothing can quite beat the taste of grilled food. Plus an added bonus is that Pablo mans the grill and I can kick my feet up! 😉
I’m really excited today to share our two absolute favorites for the grill: marinated chicken and corn on the cob, plus some non-grilled sides.
Grilled chicken with fajita marinade
I’ve tried several different marinades for chicken but nothing beats this amazing recipe from my Betty Crocker Cookbook. We like to grill a lot of chicken at a time so I normally double the recipe.
Fajita Marinade
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 t. sugar
- 1 t. dried oregano
- 1 t. chili powder
- 1/2 t. garlic powder
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. pepper
The last time I made this (last week!) I doubled the recipe for the marinade and it was perfect for seven chicken breasts. I always carefully cut the chicken breasts in half width-wise so that they are thinner and cook faster. I like to put the chicken in the marinade in the morning so that it has at least a good five or six hours to soak up all that flavor before it’s time to grill.
We just have a charcoal grill so I can’t really give specific instructions about what temperature to cook the chicken… I just know that the way Pablo does it is perfect haha. 😉
It’s always a good idea to grill extra because leftover grilled chicken is amazing! We love to use leftovers for chicken strip salads and Chipotle style burritos.
Grilled corn on the cob
I’ve always loved corn on the cob, but grilling it takes it to a whole different level! I know that there’s different ways to grill corn but we just keep it simple… we spray them with a little cooking spray, shake on a little salt and stick them on the grill. Don’t worry if the kernels get a little charred, they tasted amazing that way!
Note: if you’re not a fan of the cooking spray idea, melt a little butter and rub it on the corn with a pastry brush. We just go the cooking spray route because it’s fast and easy.
Roasted garlic and herb potatoes
No, this is not a grilled item, but these potato wedges go perfectly with the grilled chicken and corn. I’ve made this recipe multiple times now; it’s that good!
Garlic Herb Potato Wedges
Ingredients:
- 4 medium russet potatoes
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 t. dried rosemary
- 1/2 t. dried oregano
- 1/2 t. dried thyme
- 1/2 t. paprika
- 1/2 t. black pepper
- 1 t. salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash potatoes and cut into wedges. Add the wedges to a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.
Line a sheet pan or baking dish with foil and grease with cooking spray. Add the potatoes, spacing evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes, flipping the wedges once or twice. The potato wedges are done when they are tender, well browned and crispy around the edges.
Homemade buttermilk biscuits
Pablo likes to bake occasionally (yes, I’m a lucky girl) and he makes amazing buttermilk biscuits. The biscuits make a great southern side for grilled chicken! (Serve sweet tea too and that’s about as southern as you can get!) I’m not exactly sure what recipe he used for the biscuits in this picture but this recipe from Smitten Kitchen looks yummy. 🙂
Strawberry shortcake
Ahh, strawberry shortcake, the perfect ending to a great summer meal! I made the one pictured here last summer and unfortunately I can’t for the life of me remember what recipe I used. I kind of have a problem of googling for recipes, making one that looks good and then forgetting to save the link. But, never fear, I found this recipe from Food Network that looks nearly identical.
Well, there you have it! That, folks, is our favorite summer meal. 🙂
What’s your favorite food to grill?
