Hi everyone.

Like a lot of Kiwis I love getting the barbeque out in summer (and, yes, occasionally in winter too). So I thought I’d share my easy-as chicken barbeque recipe and what you’ll need to do to get the most from your charcoal grill. Hope you like it!

What you’ll need:

• 8 Chicken Breasts
• 1/2 cup Hoi Sin Sauce
• 2 Garlic Cloves (crushed or finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• Pinch Salt and Pepper
• A plastic zip-lock bag

What you’ll do:

1. In a stainless steel bowl combine the marinade ingredients – Hoi Sin, garlic, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
2. Dip the chicken breasts into the mixture and liberally coat. Then place in the plastic bag.
3. Pour the rest of the marinade into bag and work it into the chicken breasts.
4. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.
5. Leave in the fridge for an hour minimum. Overnight is best.
6. Cook on a charcoal BBQ.

So now it’s time to set up the Weber BBQ… 

1. Remove the lid and cooking grate and set aside.
2. Open the bottom vent fully.
3. Put a few fire-lighters on the charcoal grate and a chimney starter over them.
4. Fill the chimney starter with briquettes and set over the burning firelighters.
5. When the briquettes are lightly coated all over with white ash, they’re ready to go (the briquettes will take 15 to 20 minutes to light fully).
6. Empty the coals onto the charcoal grate and spread them in a single layer across one-half to two-thirds of the charcoal grate.
7. Put the cooking grate on and the lid on with top and bottom vents fully open.
8. Let the cooking grate preheat for 15 minutes.
9. Now brush the cooking grates with a stainless steel grill brush to remove any leftover debris and wipe or brush some oil on to stop the meat sticking.

Now to cook the chook… 

1. Place marinated chicken breasts on the grill.
2. Grill the chicken for about 10 - 15 minutes, then flip them in order to have sear marks on each side of the chicken.
3. Check the internal temperature of the chicken using a cooking thermometer or iGrill. Once the internal temp is 165°F, remove from grill and let cool.

Note, the cooking time will depend on how many briquettes you use, whether it’s windy and possible other factors (outdoor air temperature, size of the chicken etc). It’s basically a bit of trial and error. If you don’t have a thermometer cut a piece and make sure the juice is running clear before serving.

The trick is to cook the chicken enough (so you don’t poison everyone) but not too much (so you dry it out). This is all made so much easier if you have the Weber iGrill digital temp probe which Bluetooth to your phone and tells you the exact internal temp. What an incredible tool for the modern age!

Happy grilling!