All-Star Chicken

I'm not sure if y'all know this but I got my start as a blogger with a recipe site called South Your Mouth. Well, I know at least one of you knows that because you left a lovely comment on my post about different types of baseball moms telling me maybe I should just stick to recipes. HA! Nah, I'm good but thanks!

Anyway! A few years ago Brutus made his coaches pitch all-star team. The team went all the way through to the State tournament so all of our free time was spent at the ballpark that summer. All that baseball was made it hard to eat good home-cooked meals and make new stuff for the recipe blog. Since we were practically living at the ballpark, I decided to take the blog to practice 😏

We had a really nice ballpark with a huge grill for members. Side note: you know you're in the South when the baseball park has a barbeque grill big enough to cook a hog on. I suggested we have a cookout and everyone pitched in to bring stuff.

I’d concocted this marinade for chicken a month or so before and we just fell in love with it so I figured it would be great if we marinated chicken thighs in it, grilled them up and made super simple chicken sandwiches. And that’s exactly what we did!

Well, I didn’t do the grilling. I made the marinade and got everything ready and my (then) new buddy, Harry, did the grilling. That’s the thing with good baseball. You’re practicing like every day and spending a ton of time with these parents and families and it is SUCH a relief when you all actually end up liking each other and having fun together. We're still close friends with Harry and his family all these years later 😍

Harry
a.k.a. Animal's Dad

I like using thighs over breasts because you just about can’t overcook them. They stay moist and juicy and have so much more flavor. But since I know somebody’s going to ask anyway, yes, you can use breasts but don't cook them too long.

You can serve these as-is or make sandwiches with them like we did. I think this is a great alternative to grilling burgers if you have a crowd to feed. The way we served these was just on a plain bun with a drizzle of Cajun White Barbeque Sauce (recipe below). I like a few slices of dill pickle on the bottom too but other than that, this all comes together pretty easily. And unlike with burgers you don't need a wagon load of condiments and extras: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, mayo, mustard, ketchup, etc.

I got distracted and didn’t take a photo of this as a sandwich OR with the Cajun White Barbeque Sauce on top but here’s what the chicken looked like when Harry was done working his magic. And I’d like to go on the record and tell you our third baseman ate two of these and told me they were “seriously really delicious good!” That’s a pretty heavy compliment coming from an 8-year old ;)

All-Star Chicken & Marinade
12-14 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Trim any excess fat from chicken then add to a gallon-sized zip-top bag or lidded container. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well to make a marinade. Pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag then refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and discard. Grill chicken over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve as-is or on buns with Cajun White Barbeque Sauce (recipe below).

If you're looking for ideas for feeding your team on the road, try this! Prep the chicken and store in gallon-sized zip-top bags in a cooler (along with a few bottles of Cajun White BBQ Sauce). Some hotels have outdoor grills but if yours doesn't just do what we do and run to Wal-Mart or Dollar General to buy the cheapest charcoal grill they have (one you don't mind leaving behind). Set up a tailgate area in the parking lot or grassy area and grill the chicken right there at the hotel. Set out some buns, a few bags of chips and you're all set!

Cajun White Barbeque Sauce
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve. Use as a condiment, fry sauce or basting sauce.

PRINTABLE RECIPE