Rewind to 2018.

Alex was coming over for dinner, and for the first time, I was going to cook for him.

I stressed about it for days.

You know that old saying, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? Apparently, I took it very seriously.

But there was one problem: I had no idea what kind of food he actually liked.

Did he love tons of bold flavor? Spicy food? Was he picky? What was I supposed to make that would somehow say, I can cook, but I also definitely didn’t spend three days thinking about this dinner?

Somehow, I landed on BBQ chicken.

And it was a hit.

All that worrying over what to make, and years later, I’m still making the exact same recipe.

It’s funny how a meal can start as something so ordinary—just dinner for someone you’re falling for—and quietly become part of your family’s story.

The BBQ chicken stayed. And thankfully, so did he.

The BBQ Chicken that Won Him Over

From our table to yours

Ali's BBQ Chicken

Prep: 1.5 hour • Cook: 45 minutes • Serves: 4

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 cloves garlic mines

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp pepper

1 cup favorite prepared BBQ sauce

Directions

Combine olive oil, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl and pour over chicken.

Let chicken marinate for at least one hour, up to 12 hours in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350

Remove chicken from bag and place on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes brush a layer of BBQ sauce on the chicken. Return to oven and repeat brushing with BBQ sauce every 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. About 15-20 minutes longer.

Make it. Share it. Maybe it becomes part of your story, too.

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