Marinated Flattened Chicken with Mexican-Style Street Corn
By removing the backbone, you get a juicy, whole chicken cooked in less time. The process takes only minutes but can be intimidating for first-timers; however, you can always ask your butcher to do it for you. Serve with additional lime wedges around the platter.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp orange zest + 1¼ cups fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp lime zest + ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tsp chile powder, divided
- 2 tsp each ground cumin, coriander and oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp each sea salt and ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 3½ lb whole chicken
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 4 ears corn, shucked
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ¼ cup torn fresh basil leaves
Preparation
- To a large (1 gallon) zip-top bag, add orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, garlic, 2½ tsp chile powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne; set aside.
- On a cutting board place chicken breast-side down. Using kitchen shears, start at the tail end and cut along both sides of the spine, finishing at the neck; remove spine completely. (Tip: Keep backbone in the freezer for your next batch of bone broth.) Flip chicken over and press down firmly until chicken cracks and flattens. Place in zip-top bag along with marinade and seal, removing as much air as possible. Marinate in fridge for 4 hours, flipping every hour.
- Prepare sour cream mixture: In a small bowl combine sour cream, feta and remaining ½ tsp chile powder; set aside.
- Preheat grill to medium-high, then turn off one side for indirect cooking. On hot side of grill, place chicken breast-side down and cook until skin lifts easily, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip chicken, cooking until grill marks appear on underside, 10 to 12 minutes. Move chicken to unheated side of grill; close lid. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 165˚F, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brush corn with oil. When chicken has 10 minutes remaining, place corn on hot side of grill. Cook, turning frequently, until corn is tender and slightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate; spread sour cream mixture over corn and sprinkle with basil. Serve corn alongside chicken.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size ¼ of recipe
- Calories 590
- Carbohydrate Content 23 g
- Cholesterol Content 170 mg
- Fat Content 32 g
- Fiber Content 3 g
- Protein Content 53 g
- Saturated Fat Content 10 g
- Sodium Content 332 mg
- Sugar Content 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 6 g