Grilled Chicken

Step 1

Season the chicken. Combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, sumac, and coriander in a small bowl. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with the salt mixture — this can be done the day before, several hours in advance, or 30 minutes before cooking (refrigerate if salting for more than 30 minutes). Let sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes while the grill heats. Meanwhile, make the sauce if using.

Step 2

Make the sauce. Stir the ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.

Step 3

Heat the grill for both medium and high heat cooking. Heat a gas grill by either heating 2 of three or 3 of four of the heating elements to medium heat. Heat the remaining element to high. For a charcoal grill, light a full chimney of charcoal, arrange the lit coals on one half of the grill, and heat until the coals get white and ashy. For both kinds of grills, preheat about 15 minutes, until the temperature is 350 to 400ºF.

Step 4

Grill the chicken covered over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Scrape the grill grates clean if needed. Place the chicken on the cooler side of the grill (over the medium burners on the gas grill or the empty side of the charcoal grill). Cover and cook, flipping and moving the chicken around every 5 minutes, until the thickest piece registers 155°F on an instant-read thermometer. It will take 20 to 30 minutes depending on how thick the pieces are. The skin will be light golden brown with some darker spots.

Step 5

Move the chicken to direct heat to crisp the skin, and baste if using sauce. Move the chicken to the hotter part of the grill. If basting, baste the chicken with the sauce. Continue to grill the chicken, flipping and basting every 2 to 3 minutes, until the skin is crisped and dark golden-brown, and the thickest piece register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes more.