A lot of people don’t grill during the week, but I’m here to tell you that you can charcoal grill and knock out dinner for the entire week when you grill enough chicken for three easy weeknight meals, giving each meal the smoky flavor you can only get cooked over Kingsford Charcoal.
If you guys have seen my Kick Ass Grilled Chicken Thighs video as part of my Grill School series, you know that I am a big fan of chicken thighs over chicken breast. I think most people think of chicken breasts for grilling but this is, in my opinion, a mistake.
Why? Because chicken breasts are so thick that they don’t cook evenly. They are also prone to drying out, and they take longer on the grill.
Instead of chicken breasts, opt for boneless skinless chicken thighs that are less expensive, cook more evenly, and don’t dry out! There is a reason that competition BBQ cooks enter chicken thighs into the chicken category in contests!
When you’re planning out your meals for the next few days, count on buying 1 pound of chicken per family member — so, for a family of four, purchase 4 pounds of chicken thighs.
Night #1: Grilled chicken thighs with an easy arugula salad
Night #2: Grilled Chicken Tacos
Night #3: Cajun Chicken Pasta
NIGHT 1: Chicken and Simple Arugula Salad
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 4 lbs grilled chicken 1x
Description
It's night one of making three easy chicken dinners that will have everyone in your family happy!
Ingredients
- 4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 container arugula
- Olive oil, balsamic glaze, – or your favorite salad dressing for salad for night #1
- Your favorite BBQ Rub, you can make your own with my all-purpose BBQ rub recipe
Instructions
- Fill your grill with Kingsford Charcoal Briquettes and prepare your grill for direct heat (charcoal spread out evenly on the bottom versus only on one side). If you would like to learn about how to start a charcoal grill or how to create direct and indirect zones on your grill they are part of my GRILL SCHOOL series which will teach you the fundamentals of grilling!
- Oil your grill grates with avocado oil or another high heat oil so your chicken doesn't stick.
- Grill the chicken thighs on direct heat until the internal temperature reads 170 degrees as determined by an instant read thermometer like the Thermapen or the Thermopop.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest before cutting into it.
- Serve with arugula salad and sliced heirloom tomatoes with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and olive oil on the first night.
- If you eat carbs, you can easily throw in a grilled Texas Toast or bread to round out the meal.
- Reserve remaining chicken for dinner on nights 2 and 3.
Notes
This post was developed in partnership with Kingsford Charcoal, however all thoughts and ideas are my own.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: american
- Method: grill
- Cuisine: American
Night 2: Chicken Tacos
Description
Night two — you've got leftover chicken from the night before, and we'll be mixing it up with a delish taco recipe!
Ingredients
- One pack of tortillas
- 1 large bunch cilantro
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 2 avocados
- Leftover chicken
Instructions
- Reheat about five to seven chicken thighs and tortillas in the toaster oven at 325 degrees.
- Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream, and chopped tomatoes with your favorite hot sauce.
- Add black beans and rice to round out the meal if you have bigger appetites- this can be made in advance with canned beans and rice done in your rice cooker.
Notes
- Keto/Low Carb: Opt for low car tortillas OR use lettuce as your tortilla and pair with full fat sour cream
- Paleo: Opt for grain free tortillas, such as almond, coconut or cassava tortillas from Siete foods, pair with coconut cream instead of sour cream
This post was developed in partnership with Kingsford Charcoal, however all thoughts and ideas are my own.
Night 3: Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Description
We're onto night three of your easy weeknight dinner cooking, and who doesn't love a good pasta dish?
Ingredients
- 3 packages frozen zoodles OR 5 large zucchini that will need to be spiralized OR 1 box fettuccine noodles
- 1 1/2 cups cream (for Paleo, swap out with coconut cream or a nut butter)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 ½ cups fresh grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- Leftover chicken
Instructions
- Boil noodles or pan fry your noodles until they are al dente.
- Meanwhile, make your sauce. Melt butter and cream until it begins to simmer. Add the Parmesan and let it continue to cook until the Parmesan has melted.
- Add a teaspoon or more to taste of your favorite Cajun seasoning.
Notes
- Keto: You're good to go — Alfredo sauce is naturally Keto. But pasta is not! You'll want to use zoodles or Miracle noodles to be Keto, low carb or Paleo.
- Paleo: You’ll need to swap the cream with a nut milk and switch the Parmesan with nutritional yeast. The taste won’t be exactly the same but it will still be good. If you still use some Parmesan it will be “paleo-ish” and still taste great!
This post was developed in partnership with Kingsford Charcoal, however all thoughts and ideas are my own.
If you liked these ideas for easy weeknight meals with grilled chicken, make sure to check out my Kick Ass Grilled Smoked Chicken Thighs, Grilled Tandoori Chicken Thighs, or Orange Oregano Maple Smoked Chicken Thigh recipes.
