sweet and spicy grilled chicken and onions

and grilled apricots with halloumi and basil

Are you ready to impress the pants off of people? I’ve got a really simple, but sneakily bougie recipe to help you kick off summer. No grill? No problem — there’s an excellent sheet-pan variation of this recipe in the notes section.

This chicken couldn’t be easier — a jar of red pepper jelly is the secret ingredient standing between you and this sticky, sweet, and spicy grilled chicken. This is an Italian thing — they brush pepper jelly over grilled steaks, chicken, pork, you name it. It truly couldn’t be easier to pull off and I can’t wait for you to try it.

My favorite not-spring, but-not-quite-summer produce is also playing a starring role this week. STONE FRUIT! Specifically apricots, but I know not all of you will be able to find apricots, so just FYI, absolutely any stone fruit will work here.

Throwing stone fruit on the grill is the best decision you’ll make this summer. It gets warm and jammy and the flavors intensify. Grilled apricots with a scoop of vanilla ice cream — delicious. But grilled apricots with grilled halloumi and basil — LIGHTS OUT.

lights. out.

Grilling halloumi — a semi-hard cheese with a high melting point — is the second best decision you’ll make this summer. It’s an excellent side dish all on its own, but, when paired with those jammy apricots and topped with fresh basil and a squeeze of grilled lemon?! Forget it. You’ve done it. You’ve won summer and it’s only just begun.

I asked you guys to submit all of your burning grilling questions on Instagram a few days ago and here are the FAQs! Many of these apply only to gas grilling, because charcoal grilling is a whole other beast that deserves its own post!

• The number 1 question was: Literally how do I start? Like how do I turn it on? It’s so easy! Almost as easy as turning the oven on. When lighting a gas grill, simply check the propane tank and make sure the valve on top of the tank is set to “open.” Then open the grill lid, hold down the ignite button, and turn the burner closest to the ignite button to HIGH. You should hear the burner ignite immediately. Now let go of the ignite button and turn on the other burners! They’ll use the flame from the first burner to light themselves. Close the lid and preheat for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, use your grill brush to clean any crud off of the grates. You’re ready to grill!

• Should the lid be open or closed? The lid should always be closed, unless a recipe specifically states to grill uncovered. Pretty much the only time I grill with the lid open is when I’m grilling bread. Otherwise the heat plummets too rapidly!

• Why can I never get a good sear or grill lines on my smoker / Traeger: We had this exact same issue! I’m not a smoker master, but I personally think they’re really only great for low and slow cooks. I was never able to get grill lines, even if I had the heat cranked all the way up!

• What kind of grill should I get? I think the Weber Spirit is the perfect What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking grill. It’s not a show off, but it’s a quality piece of equipment. I have the two-burner size and constantly wish I had gone with the larger version, because it fills up quickly. That being said, the two-burner is much more economical, and it’s not that big of an issue to grill food in phases.

• How not to die? Ah, such a great question. I assume you’re referring to the moment when the igniter ignites the propane and the grill goes POOOOOF. You’ve probably seen a big scary fireball at some point and now you have PTSD. See how to properly light a grill above, and how to avoid scary flames below.

• Can you grill artichokes? OK this wasn’t a FAQ, but I had to chime in to this one question because you sure can and it is an excellent idea. If your artichokes are huge, steam them for up to 30 minutes to get them tender all the way through!

• What to do when the grill goes up in flames / how to avoid big scary flames: Flare-ups (those poofs of fire we see when grilling) are caused when fat or oil drips down, hits the flame, and flares up. Mitigate these by making sure not to add too much oil to anything that you’re grilling — you want just a very light coating. Grilling meat with lots of fat (for instance, chicken thighs with the skin on) will inevitably lead to lots of flare-ups, but you can help avoid that by cooking fattier meat over INDIRECT heat (AKA, there’s no flame directly underneath the grate that you’re cooking on, or, if you’re using charcoal, no live coals directly underneath). Also, be sure to trim off excess fat before cooking meat. When that fat heats up it basically just melts into grease that melts down into the flame and gets out of control.

  • But seriously, what do I do when the entire grill catches on fire? Been there, done that. What’s happening is that the last few times you grilled, you probably either grilled with a lot of oil, or you grilled a really fatty meat. So all of that oil and fat pooled up at the bottom of the grill, and it’s now caught on fire. And the flames are LARGE. And burning your food. And scaring you. Here’s what to do: Turn off the burners immediately. If you can safely move your meat away from the flames, do that. Then shut the grill and keep it closed. Cutting off the oxygen to the flames will make them go out eventually. Do NOT throw water on it. Water will spread a grease fire.

  • How do I clean it so that it doesn’t happen again?! You gotta deep clean it, sorry. It’s going to take you an hour, but then you’re back on track! No, you do not need to throw your grill away and get a new one. You just need to clean it.

and as a reminder: these are the only grill tools you really need

• Silicone tongs: I freaking hate those gigantic, unwieldy, stainless steel grill tongs. They are so unnecessary. I just use long silicone tongs, which can fit in a normal drawer easily and can also be used indoors with your nonstick skillets.

• Grill brush: I have tried many grill brushes and this is my new fave. It’s a wire bristle brush on one side, and a smooth, wire-free brush on the other. I first get in there really hardcore with the bristle side to get it totally clean, then do a sweep with the wire-free side to brush away any potential stray bristles.

• Meat thermometer: I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: You do not have X-ray vision! You cannot cook perfectly cooked meat without a meat thermometer.

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the perfect bite.

sweet and spicy grilled chicken and onions (and grilled apricots with halloumi and basil)

Serves 4 to 6