hot grill summer!!!
my girls, we are so back.
I’ve perhaps said it before (and really wanted to mean it), but this time it’s real. How do I know that for certain? Well I got a grill. So yes, @honeyibaked is so back and Hot Grill Summer is at the heart of it all.
grilled chicken caesar wrap deets are at the end but please read the middle parts too
As all of you wonderful people who subscribed to my newsletter a couple years ago are aware - I absolutely LOVE grilling. I love how much you can do with a grill, I love the char, the grill marks, the variety of things you can throw on the grates or in a grill basket. Most of all, I love that simplicity is rewarded. Chicken, a couple of veggies, and a simple dressing over romaine? Best salad you’ll ever have. Steak, a potato, butter, and fresh herbs? Nothing I would rather see on my plate.
To give credit where credit is due, my parents bought us the grill right after we moved into our house and a very nice handyman put it together because we are not the kind of people who should be messing with spark plugs. Ever.
And then on a walk the concept of “Hot Grill Summer” became so clear in my head I knew I had to start writing things down. So while I got acquainted with my new grill I worked on a list of things I am so excited to make on it this summer. Simple meals and sides, all sorts of flavors, some new ideas, some classics…. I think you get the point.
In past summers when I’ve had access to an apartment grill I’ve done “girls that grill” and it was always so fun to learn new things and spend some time outside.
Now we’ve graduated to Hot Grill Summer where the plan is to bring 2-3 grilling recipes or concepts to you every week until it gets too cold out to grill or home depot runs out of propane.
Here’s a short list of ideas I’m working on just to give you a taste and maybe get everyone bought in on this:
peach skillet w/ homemade ice cream
lemongrass chicken skewers
shrimp rolls
burgers + burger bowls
baked potato bar
oysters rockefeller
pasta salads
so many tacos
seriously, so many tacos
When I got started I felt certain I had to start with something near and dear to my heart - Here’s everything about the Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap:
Measurements for 2 wraps!
Chicken Marinade Option 1: Mexican Caesar
2 large chicken thighs
1-2 tbsps avocado oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp chile powder
a bit of hot sauce like Cholula (optional)
salt + pepper
Chicken Marinade Option 2: Classic
2 large chicken thighs
1 tbsp avocado oil
½ tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
½ tbsp lemon juice, just a squeeze (or a splash of pickle juice!)
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp bbq sauce (optional!) it won’t taste like bbq chicken, just adds flavor
salt + pepper
Other ingredients
a head of romaine lettuce
2 large flour burrito wraps (at my Whole Foods I buy the Vista Hermosa brand)
1 jalapeno pepper (optional, but by the end of grilling it was not spicy)
2/3 cup of tortilla chip crumbs (panko also works here, goal is to add crunch)
parmesan cheese (measure with your heart!)
¼ cup caesar dressing
A note on the dressing: I have a bottle of Chopt’s Mexican Caesar dressing in my fridge right now. I know not everyone lives near a Chopt. You have several great options - use your favorite store bought caesar dressing! Or you can make your own at home! I love making caesar from scratch because I can adjust it to my preferences (extra lemon, extra pepper). If you want a chipotle twist on the caesar dressing, you can either add a smokey hot such as Cholula’s chipotle hot sauce, into your dressing or you can use my Mexican Caesar Copycat recipe which I’ll put at the bottom of this.
Instructions
Marinate your chicken breasts for at least 15 minutes - this can be while you are heating up your grill! Also rub the jalapeno pepper with a drop of avocado oil.
Heat your grill up and let it get to about 450° F or up to 500° F. Once the chicken is on the grill you’ll want to keep it around 400-450.
Add the chicken thighs and jalapeno pepper to the grill. Shut the hood and let them cook for 7 minutes unbothered. The chicken should release from the grates easily at this point. Flip and cook for another 7 minutes on the second side. Turn the jalapeno on to a different side. If it’s getting burnt instead of just charred, move it to a cooler part of the grill. You can flip the chicken thighs again for another 2 minutes if they look like they need it. I cooked mine for 15 minutes total.
Remove chicken thighs and jalapeno from the grill, let them rest for 10 minutes.
Rinse and chop your romaine. The key to this recipe is chopping the romaine really small - like each piece should be less than an inch. So keep chopping!!! Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the tortilla chips and parmesan into the bowl.
Cut the chicken thighs also into really small pieces - aim for less than an inch. Finely dice the jalapeno (toss out the stem). Add both into the mixing bowl. Add caesar dressing and mix really well!
Right before wrapping, it helps to throw your tortillas on the grill for 10 seconds on each side (keep the grill open for this). If you’ve moved inside at this point, just give them a quick 15 seconds in the microwave.
Add half of the salad mix into your tortilla and then wrap! You can cut it in half and eat it immediately or roll it up with foil / parchment paper and let it sit for 10 minutes. This helps the structure hold together a bit more!
Notes:
Wrapping a burrito is kind of like an envelope. Place your filling in the middle, slightly below the center. Fold up the bottom third over the filling, then fold in the sides, then roll it forward, tucking the filling under the tortilla and making sure the sides stay folded in. Roll forward until it’s fully sealed!
You can sequence this however you’re comfortable doing so. If you have a table outside by your grill where you can prep the salad and cut your chicken and roll the wraps, then do it all outside! If you need to go inside for the salad/ cutting/ wrapping parts, that’s a great time to let the chicken thighs rest!
Don’t have a grill? Cook your thighs in a skillet! Sear them over medium heat and let them cook on each side for 7 minutes without being disturbed. This helps build color.
But Anna! You grilled four chicken thighs!! Yes - and saved two of them for another meal because it was easier to just cook them all at the same time. Four chicken thighs would be great if you were doubling this recipe but is too much for just two wraps.
I hope you make these wraps! Kris has brought them up several times so we’ll be making them again soon I’m sure.
If you have grilling ideas you want to see - comment below or send them to me!! I want this to be big, I want it to be so much fun, I want it to inspire a lot of dinners this summer. It’s a series for me to have fun playing around with and hopefully it’s a series for you to get inspired to grill something new and have a few more dinners outside.
Thank you for sticking around. I hope to make it worth your time!
xx
Anna
ps: a housekeeping note - over the next couple of months I will be moving recipes from my website onto substack. This won’t trigger a bunch of emails I promise!
Mexican Caesar Copycat:
You’ll need
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I like 5% milk fat)
2 chipotle peppers (the canned in adobo sauce kind)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons mayo
1 lemon (juiced)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Combine everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy! Give it a taste test and adjust as needed. Salt will bring out more flavor and honey will counteract an acidic bite.
Pour into a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week (this is an estimate, I usually eat within a few dates)
This looks 🔥🔥