Caribbean Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

For the chicken and the spicy rub:

• 4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 T packed dark brown sugar
• 1 t ground coriander
• 1 ½ t kosher or steak salt
• ½ t freshly ground black pepper
• ½ t dried thyme
• ½ t onion powder
• ½ t allspice
• ½ t ground cinnamon
• ½ t cayenne (red) pepper
• 1 ½ T vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped (optional)

For the pineapple-rum glaze:

• ¼ C salted butter
• ¼ C packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ C dark rum
• ¼ C pineapple juice

Preparation

Chicken and spicy rub:

Combine the brown sugar, salt, coriander, pepper, thyme, onion powder, allspice, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl and stir to mix. Set the breasts in a baking dish and drizzle with the oil, rubbing it over the meat on both sides. Sprinkle the rub, garlic, and green onions on both sides of the chicken, patting the seasonings into the meat with your fingers. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours while you make the glaze and prepare the grill.

Make the glaze:

Combine the butter, brown sugar, rum, and pineapple juice in a heavy saucepan. Boil until syrupy, 7-10 minutes over medium-high heat. Don’t worry if the mixture starts to separate. Whisk it to combine.

Preheat the grill. Scrub and oil the grate. Arrange the chicken breasts on the grill at an angle to the grate bars. When glazing the chicken, do not brush it on any of the raw meat or the glaze will be contaminated with bacteria.

Grill until the chicken has grill marks, about 6 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts and brush with the cooked glaze. Cook the second side the same way. Do not over cook, but test the thickest breast to see if it is white throughout. Serve with any remaining glaze.