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A Summer Recipe for Grilled Chicken With Buttery Beans and Herb Salsa
Sometimes it is the quiet rituals like peeling garlic outdoors, flipping peppers over the coals, watching butter melt in a warm kitchen that shape the feeling of summer. This is a recipe built for those kinds of days. It blends the smoky charm of grilling with the comfort of a slow-cooked butter sauce. Juicy grilled chicken, creamy beans, a vibrant herb salsa, and charred lettuce come together into one relaxed but flavorful meal.
If you are looking for a new grilling recipe to try this season, something that feels a bit more thoughtful than your usual weeknight barbecue, this is it. It is part barbecue, part indoor cooking, and part picnic-style gathering. Everything can be made in one afternoon without rushing, with plenty of space to enjoy the process. Whether you are cooking for friends or just winding down after a long week, this is a dish that feels special without being fussy.
Why This Recipe Works So Well for Summer
Summer cooking is all about ease, flavor, and flexibility. This grilled chicken recipe hits all of those notes. The cooking process flows naturally from one step to the next. You begin with a few hours of brining, which gives you time to prep the salsa or just enjoy your day. Then comes the searing over the grill, which adds that satisfying smokiness and golden skin. After that, the chicken finishes in the oven, gently bubbling away in butter, garlic, rosemary, and sage.
This combination of outdoor grilling and indoor roasting creates a depth of flavor that is hard to beat. The heat of the grill brings a bold, charred edge, while the oven preserves tenderness and moisture. And because everything happens in a single pan, the leftover juices are rich with flavor, ready to soak into the white beans as they simmer gently in the final stage.
The Power of Brining Your Chicken
Brining is one of those steps that might seem optional at first, but in a recipe like this, it really makes a difference. Soaking your chicken in a saltwater solution for a few hours does more than season it. It transforms the texture, locking in moisture and helping the meat stay tender even after grilling and roasting.
In this case, the brine is simple (just salt and water) but the results are noticeable. The meat becomes more forgiving to cook, and the flavor goes deeper than surface seasoning ever could. If you have never brined chicken before, this recipe is a great place to start. It is low-effort, low-cost, and delivers high reward. It also helps the skin become crispier.
Why So Much Butter? And Why That Is a Good Thing
This recipe uses a generous amount of butter (150 grams, or about two-thirds of a cup). And yes, that might sound like a lot. But it is there for a reason. The butter is not just for richness. It is the carrier for all the flavors in this dish. It holds the garlic, rosemary, and sage. It keeps the chicken skin golden and crisp while keeping the inside moist and tender. And later, it becomes the base for the white beans, turning them silky and flavorful with every bite.
You could try to use less butter, but you would miss out on what makes this dish so satisfying. The butter transforms the cooking process into something a little more luxurious. It is indulgent, yes, but also balanced by the herbs and the brightness of the salsa. If you are going to make one buttery summer meal, let it be this one.
The Best Pan for the Job
Because this recipe moves from stovetop to oven, you need a pan that can handle both environments. I highly recommend using an oven-safe sauté pan like this one. It is wide and deep enough to hold a halved chicken, along with the butter, herbs, and wine, and sturdy enough to distribute heat evenly without scorching.
Using the right pan can turn this from a good recipe into a smooth experience. You do not want to juggle transfers or worry about things sticking or burning unevenly. A high-quality sauté pan helps everything cook more predictably. It is one of those tools that makes you want to cook more, not less.
Grilling Meets Indoor Cooking
One of my favorite things about this dish is how it blends outdoor and indoor cooking. You start with fire and end with simmering warmth. The chicken hits the grill first, building flavor and color. The peppers for the salsa also go straight on the grill until they are blistered and soft. Then the rest of the work moves inside, where the butter and herbs do their slow magic.
This balance keeps things interesting. You get that sensory joy of outdoor cooking – the smells, the sizzle, the hands-on part – but you also get the consistency and comfort of finishing things in your kitchen. It is a rhythm that suits long summer days, when you want to feel connected to what you are making without needing to stay by the fire the whole time.
The Beans Soak Up Every Drop
After the chicken has roasted in the butter and wine and herbs, you let it rest wrapped in parchment and foil. This is important not just for the chicken but for what comes next. All that flavor left in the pan (the melted butter, the garlic, the reduced wine, the leftover fond from the chicken) is the perfect home for a pot of white beans.
You do not need to do much at this point. Just add the beans to the hot pan, bring it to a simmer, and let them absorb what is there. You can use canned beans if you like, or cook your own ahead of time. Either way, they end up infused with flavor. Creamy, rich, and a little garlicky, they become more than just a side dish. They become part of the main event.
A Salsa That Cuts Through the Richness
Every rich dish needs something fresh to cut through it. That is where the salsa comes in. Made with grilled bell peppers, fresh herbs, lemon juice, mustard, and a little onion, it adds just enough brightness to lift the plate. The peppers bring sweetness and smokiness, the herbs add freshness, and the lemon ties everything together.
This is not a spicy salsa. It is more of a chunky, herby topping, something you can spoon generously over your grilled chicken and beans or serve on the side. You can make it ahead of time if you like. It keeps well and even gets better after a few hours in the fridge.
Charred Lettuce on the Side
As a final touch, I like to serve this with grilled lettuce. It sounds simple, and it is, but the flavor surprise is worth it. A head of crunchita or romaine, halved and lightly oiled, grilled until the edges start to crisp. This adds texture, freshness, and a hint of bitterness to balance the meal. You can season it with salt and a little lemon juice or just let it mingle naturally with the salsa and chicken juices on the plate.
You could also serve this dish with crusty bread, or even just as it is. It does not need much else. Everything on the plate is already working together.
A Meal Worth Slowing Down For
This is the kind of recipe that invites you to linger. It is made for sunny weekends, backyard dinners, or slow summer evenings when the light stretches on a little longer. It is not complicated, but it has depth. It uses the grill without relying on it entirely, and it brings indoor comfort without staying inside the whole time.
If you are looking for a grilled chicken recipe for summer that feels just a little different, something buttery, bright, and deeply satisfying, this is one to try. Let it be your excuse to light the grill, pour a glass, and settle into the moment.
A flavorful summer recipe combining grilled chicken, buttery white beans, and a fresh herb salsa. Perfect for outdoor cooking with a touch of indoor comfort.
Total Time:1 hour 45 minutes
Yield:4–6 portions 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken & Beans
1 whole chicken
1 dl (⅖ cup) salt
Water
7 tbsp cooking oil
150 g (⅔ cup) butter
3 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs sage
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 dl (¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) white wine
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) white beans
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Salsa
5 bell peppers
2 dl (¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) parsley, chopped
1 dl (⅖ cup) mint, chopped
2 dl (¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) basil, chopped
1 lemon, the juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
½ onion, finely chopped
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
To Serve
2 crunchita lettuces, halved
Instructions
Chicken & Beans
Add the chicken to a large bowl. Add the salt and cover with water. Let sit in the brine for at least 3 hours.
Dry the chicken. Remove the backbone and cut the chicken in half.
Rub the chicken with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Sear on the grill until nicely browned on both sides.
Melt the butter in an oven-safe pan that can fit the chicken.
Add the rosemary, sage, and garlic to the butter. Sauté for 1 minute.
Place the chicken in the butter, skin side up. Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer.
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook at 180°C (360°F) for 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Rub the crunchita lettuces with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, season with salt, and grill until nicely charred.
Remove the chicken from the pan and wrap in parchment paper and aluminium foil. Let it rest.
Add the beans to the butter and chicken juices in the pan. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and black pepper.
Salsa
Rub the bell peppers with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Grill until soft and charred on all sides.
In a bowl, mix the parsley, mint, basil, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, dijon mustard, and chopped onion.
Chop the grilled bell peppers and add them to the bowl. Mix well.
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