Marinated chicken breast fillets — seared, then finished indirect
| Prep | Cook | Heat | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 min + 2-24hr marinate | 12-15 min | Sear direct (4"), finish indirect (10") | 4-6 fillets |
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken breast fillets, pounded or butterflied to an even thickness
- 60ml olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (plus extra lemon to serve)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 10ml dried oregano
- 5ml smoked paprika
- 10ml Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Variation — peri-peri style: swap the oregano/Dijon for chilli flakes, extra smoked paprika, garlic, lemon, and a pinch of brown sugar. Same marinate time, same sear/finish method.
Setting Up the Brick BBQ
- Bank the coals into the back 8" as usual.
- Half a chimney of Big K briquettes is enough for this cook.
- Use the half-size grid at 4", over the hot coal half, to sear — full width, even heat, good hard char.
- Use the full-size grid at 10", spanning both zones, to finish — coal side runs medium-direct, front (empty) side runs gentle indirect. This is where the chicken finishes through without burning.
- Sausages, if cooking alongside, go straight onto the full-size grid's coal side.
Method
- Pound or butterfly the fillets to an even thickness — this is what stops one end drying out while the other's still raw in the middle.
- Whisk together olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, Dijon, salt and pepper. Marinate the fillets at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, in the fridge.
- Pat the fillets dry before they hit the grill — wet fillets steam instead of searing.
- Sear on the half-size grid at 4", direct over the coals, 2-3 minutes per side, until charred and coloured.
- Move to the indirect (front) side of the full-size grid at 10". Finish gently until the internal temp hits 74°C, turning once or twice.
- Rest 5 minutes, then squeeze over fresh lemon juice before serving.
Tip: pat the fillets dry before searing — any marinade left on the surface will steam rather than char. Don't skip the rest after pulling; it keeps the fillets juicy.
Cooking Alongside Sausages
Sausages go straight onto the full-size grid's coal side (medium-direct), turning every few minutes for 15-20 minutes until browned all over with no pink and internal temp is up. If they're cooking faster than the chicken or the hot zone gets crowded, shift them to the indirect side to hold.
Timings
Work backwards from your serving time using the intervals below.
| Before ready time | Do this |
|---|---|
| 24 hr (or at least 2 hr) before | Pound fillets, mix marinade, refrigerate |
| 20 min before | Light half a chimney (Big K briquettes); pat fillets dry |
| 15 min before | Coals ashed over, tipped onto the back 22"x8" — sausages on the full-size grid, coal side |
| 12 min before | Chicken on the half-size grid at 4" — sear 2-3 min per side |
| 6 min before | Move chicken to the indirect side of the full-size grid to finish to 74°C |
| 1 min before | Pull chicken, rest briefly; squeeze over lemon |
| Ready | Serve |