Grilled Sweet and Spicy Basil Chicken

Chicken

1. Pound chicken to an even thickness with a meat tenderizer (or use thin-cut chicken breasts). Tip - It's important that chicken is a uniform thickness so it cooks evenly. If you're newer to grilling, working with thinner-cut breasts is often easier to judge when the chicken is done.
2. To a large ziptop bag, add the chicken, add about 1/3 cup of Sweet and Spicy Cayenne Grilling Sauce (use Sticky Sweet Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce instead if you're concerned about spiciness), the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, seal bag, and squish the contents around to evenly coat all the pieces of chicken. Tips - Always add salt to your taste preferences. However adding enough salt + the acidity of the vinegar in the marinade mixture really helps the chicken to not only taste good, but it will absorb essential moisture as it marinates and be juicier in the end.
3. Place bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to about 6-8 hours.

Vegetables

1. To a large grill basket, add all the vegetables, liberally drizzle olive oil over them, evenly sprinkle the Spicy Barbecue Sweet Heat Seasoning (use Moroccan Twist instead if you're concerned about spiciness), evenly sprinkle salt and pepper, to taste, Tips - I am pretty generous with salt and pepper for grilled vegetables because some of it is lost to the grill, and in this case you're seasoning many pounds worth of vegetables and they will taste best when properly seasoned so don't be shy.

Grilling

1. Please read over the FAQs in the blog post for all my tips and tricks. Preheat your outdoor gas grill to medium-high heat. Tips - I start by grilling the vegetables because they may take a bit longer to grill than the chicken. Plus it gives the chicken a chance to marinate longer. If you have a very large grill, you may be able to do it all at once, but I can't quite fit everything easily and I can keep an eye on things better if I grill the veg and chicken separately.
2. Place the grill basket on the grill with the vegetables and grill for about 10 to 15 minutes, with the lid closed. Every 3 to 5 minutes or so, stir and flip the veggies in the basket with a tongs and close the lid again. Tip - If you don't have enough space in your grill basket, it's ok to grill the red peppers and chunky onion wedges on the grill grates, but note they will cook faster when directly on the grates so pay attention so they're not burning.
3. Place the grilled veggies on a platter or in a bowl, optionally cover with a sheet of foil to keep warmer; and set aside while you grill the chicken.
4. Tip - Make sure the heat level of your grill is in the medium to medium-high range, but not on high or you will burn the chicken due to the sugar content in the marinade and sauce!
5. Place the chicken breasts on the grill grates, close the lid, and leave the chicken breasts there about 4 to 5 minutes before you open the lid and gently lift one corner of one of the breasts with a tongs. If it releases easy, it's ready to be flipped. If not, let it cook for another minute or two. Tips - Always cook chicken based on how long it needs to be cooked based on the heat intensity and output of your grill, the thickness and size of your chicken, etc. Times will vary and so use my time estimates as a guideline only.
6. Grill the chicken on the second side for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until nearly done.
7. Evenly brush a generous amount of Sweet and Spicy Cayenne Grilling Sauce over the top of each chicken breast, close the lid, turn the heat down if necessary, and allow it to sit for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it's a bit thicker and has set up a bit.
8. Remove the chicken from the grill, place it on a platter, and I always recommend allowing the chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it so the natural juices stay sealed in.
9. Garnish liberally with fresh basil and serve warm with the grilled vegetables. Extra chicken and vegetables will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months, noting the texture of the vegetables will change if you freeze and then thaw them.