Seven grilled chicken recipes with a world of influences

TO US, CHICKEN AND GRILLING JUST GO TOGETHER. It’s flavorful and forgiving, even when overcooked. It’s also versatile. Here are seven of our favorite recipes, borrowing ingredients and techniques from all over the globe.

Most of these recipes feature chicken thighs and drumsticks; their meatiness and fat help keep the grilled chicken juicy and tender. But one quick-cooking recipe features chicken breasts. Feel free to mix up the cuts to suit your preferences—or to make use of what you have on hand.

Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange

We’ll start with the showstopper above. Tea-smoking is an ancient Chinese cooking technique that infuses foods with delicate, complex flavors as varied as the tea-smoking ingredients you choose—here, black tea, orange zest and a host of aromatics.

Grilled Chicken with Alabama White Sauce

Much closer to home, iconic Alabama White Sauce hails from Decatur, Alabama, where it was created in the 1920s by Big Bob Gibson. Mayonnaise, cider vinegar and horseradish give a surprisingly subtle, tangy flavor to grilled chicken or pork or….

Spicy Grilled Chicken Paillards

Here’s a French-inspired recipe with an amusingly bawdy back story. Chicken breasts are seasoned with orange juice, honey and Moroccan-influenced spices, and pounded thin to cook quickly for this spicy/sweet flavorful dish.

Grilled Coconut Chicken Thighs

Much as we borrow ingredients and techniques freely, many Asian ingredients travel freely across borders, among countries and cultures. In this dish, for instance, you’ll find cumin, coriander, coconut milk, fresh ginger, loads of garlic, lime juice and fish sauce. What sounds like it will be big-flavored and obvious actually turns out quite subtle, in a good way.

Szechuan Buttermilk Grilled Chicken

This grilled chicken dish borrows a few tricks from fried chicken, including a buttermilk brine and a lively spice mix—Szechuan peppercorns, cumin seeds and Korean red chile powder. The nice smokiness makes up for the lack of frying.

Grilled Sriracha Apricot Chicken

This is another Asian-inspired mashup, borrowing ingredients from all over. A basting sauce of Sriracha, apricot preserves, hot chili sauce, rice vinegar and fish sauce gives this grilled chicken a tangy, slightly spicy kick.

Maple-Miso Grilled Chicken

Here’s why you need to keep your kitchen well stocked with international ingredients. Miso-Maple Grilled Chicken raids Asian and North American pantries and fridges to produce subtle, satisfying depth while claiming no one nationality.