Grilled Chicken with Cowboy Onions

1. Place the thinly sliced onion rings in a shallow dish and cover with buttermilk. Set aside.
2. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create a total of 4 chicken breast portions. This will assist the meat in cooking more evenly. And, let’s be honest, most chicken breasts are too big for one serving.
3. In a small dish, combine the dry seasoning mix for the chicken (garlic powder through cayenne pepper). Sprinkle half of the seasoning over the first side of the chicken.
4. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. When hot, place the chicken in the pan, seasoned side down. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the top of the chicken. Grill for 7 minutes or until golden on the first side. Flip the chicken and cook for another 7 minutes or until cooked through. I like to place a few tablespoons of water onto the pan and cover with a lid for the last few minutes to steam the meat throughout. I have found this helps the meat to remain moist and any drippings on the bottom are released and brown the meat.
5. While the chicken cooks, heat a quarter-inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. As the oil heats, combine the flour and seasonings (in the onion ingredients list) in a shallow dish.
6. You will now begin frying the onions in batches. Gather some of the onions out of the buttermilk and dredge in the seasoned flour. When the rings are covered, gently shake them to remove excess flour and place in the preheated oil. You will need to keep an eye on the pan. If they are cooking too fast, reduce the heat to medium. The onions will fry in approximately 3 batches. Each batch should take 2-3 minutes. Remove them from the pot when golden and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining batches of onions.
7. When the chicken is cooked, top with the cowboy onions and serve with your choice of sides.