Grilled Chicken With Tomatoes and Corn

While you could rest grilled chicken on a cutting board to ensure the juices don’t run out of the meat when it’s sliced, a more delicious option is to place the chicken on a pile of tomatoes, corn and red onion. The seasoned drippings act as a no-effort warm dressing, bolstering the flavor of the vegetables and softening their raw edges. Before grilling, the chicken is rubbed with chili powder, the spice mix that typically includes dried oregano, garlic, onion, cumin and ground chiles, for complex flavor with minimal effort. Fresh oregano, while optional, emphasizes the herbs in the chili powder. Use this technique of resting grilled proteins on fresh produce for many summer dinners: pork chops on peaches, steak on chopped scallions and ginger, sausages on radicchio, and halloumi on citrus.

Ingredients

• 1 ½

  pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry

• 3

  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the grill grates

• 1

  tablespoon chili powder

• Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

• 1 ½

  pounds large ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced

• 1

  ear of corn, kernels cut from the cob (about 1 cup kernels)

• 1

  small red onion, thinly sliced

• 1

  tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat the grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, coat the chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. (You can do this step up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate and bring to room temperature before cooking.)
2. On a large platter, layer the tomatoes, corn kernels, red onion and fresh oregano (if using). Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
3. When ready to grill, clean the grates with a grill brush, then lightly grease the grates. Grill the chicken until browned and cooked through, and it releases easily from the grates, 5 to 7 minutes per side. (If flare-ups occur, move the chicken to an area of the grill with smaller flames underneath. For a gas grill, close the lid between flips, listening and peeking occasionally for flare-ups.)
4. Transfer the chicken to the platter. Let rest for 5 to 20 minutes before serving.