This grilled chicken will wash away the cold and transport you to a summer barbecue. I recently served it over my lemony alfredo pappardelle, but this chicken should become one of your mainstays, since it pairs well with most anything. Think chicken sammies, chicken over rice or just plain old chicken salad.

I don’t love a ton of heat, so increase the quantities of spices if you want to take this dish up a notch. Also, you really do need to use bone in, skin on chicken breasts to ensure they don’t dry out. Finally, if you don’t have a grill pan, sear the breasts on both sides in a regular pan, than finish in the oven for 30ish minutes at 350.

Makes four!

Ingredients:
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for cooking
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. In a small bowl, combine paprika, pepper, salt, thyme, garlic powder and oil. Slather all over chicken, including under the skin.

2. Place a grill pan over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Place chicken – skin side down – on the pan and cook til skin is browned – about 5 minutes.

3. When skin is brown, flip the chicken and reduce the heat. Loosely cover chicken with a tent of aluminum foil and grill for 35 to 40 minutes til cooked through. The chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees or the thickest part of the breast feels firm. You can also make a slit in the chicken to see if any pink remains.

4. Transfer chicken to a platter let rest for 10 minutes before serving.