Dress It Up With Sauces
So, now we have beautifully moist and evenly cooked chicken breastsno small achievement. But for all of this work, in my opinion, chicken is still rather dull on its own, so let’s pull out the sauces.
I smothered these particular breasts in an arugula pesto, which added a nutty, peppery kick. Some other flavorful toppers to consider: mango-habanero barbecue sauce, cilantro pesto, or chimichurri.
You can also introduce flavor with more complex brines, like an apple brine, or the nice spice rub on these blackened chicken breasts.
No matter how you gussy up your chicken, all of it will do little to help a poorly grilled breastwhich should be something we no longer have to tolerate, ever.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in 2012. It has been updated with new information based on further testing.
Looking To Grill Other Cuts Of Chicken
Ive got your back! Heres how to grill chicken drumsticks and thighs:
For chicken drumsticks:
- To grill: preheat your grill to medium high and lightly oil the grate. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 8 minutes, then flip, brush with the reserved marinade, and grill for an additional 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over one last time, brush again with the remaining marinade, and cook for 5 more minutes, or until no pink remains in the center of the chicken.
- To bake: preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a oven-safe rack on a large baking sheet and grease with nonstick cooking spray so that the chicken doesnt stick to the pan. Place the drumsticks on the pan with the thicker part of the drumstick to the outside. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through.
For boneless skinless chicken thighs:
- To grill: preheat your grill to medium high and lightly oil the grates. Cook your chicken thighs for 6-8 minutes per side, flipping once. When the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F your chicken is done.
- To bake: preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and bake your chicken thighs for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165.
For skin-on chicken thighs:
How Do You Cook Thick Chicken Breast On The Grill
Close the cover of your preheated grill and place the chicken breasts on top of it. The lid of your grill must be kept covered while your chicken cooks to ensure that no heat escapes throughout the cooking process. Grill your chicken breast for 6-8 minutes on one side, depending on how thick it is. After 6-8 minutes, turn the chicken breast over and cook for another 6-8 minutes on the other side.
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How Long To Grill Chicken Breast
From start to finish, it should take around 30 minutes to grill your chicken breast. As always, make sure you are cooking to temperature and not to time. Use your instant read meat thermometer to remove the chicken breast once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
After you remove your chicken, cover or tent it with foil for 5-10 minutes to allow carryover cooking to bring the chicken up to a finished temp of 165 degrees F.
I hope you experiment with your own flavor combinations to make a grilled chicken breast that is absolutely perfect! If you do, please come back and leave a comment with your recipe so we can all try out some new chicken methods!
What Is The Best Internal Temperature For Chicken
If you only remember one temperature, its 165 degrees F . This is the minimum safe internal temperature of chicken.
While you want to cook your legs and thighs a bit higher, you will know that theyre safe to eat.
Some recipes will tell you to cut the meat, and if the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked. Clear juices are not a reliable indicator of doneness. Depending on the age of the bird, juices might not run clear until its way overcooked.
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Factors That Affect Grilling Time
Of course, these cook times are only guidelines. Although useful, there are some other factors when youâre considering how long does it take to grill chicken.
The weight and thickness of the piece of chicken will alter the cooking times. Therefore, the times we have discussed above are average recommendations. If your chicken breast is a little small or the thighs are thick, you will need to adjust the cook time by a few minutes. So, it is crucial that you keep an eye on your grill and have a meat thermometer on hand.
If youâre considering grilling frozen chicken, it is a good idea to thoroughly defrost beforehand. However, it is possible to grill chicken from frozen, provided it is uniformly and thinly cut. You will also need to add 50% to the cook time.
Why Is My Chicken So Chewy
If the chicken is undercooked, overdone, or left exposed for an excessive amount of time, it may become chewy. In addition, a muscular disease called as woody breast might be the cause of the problem. Cook white meat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and dark meat to 180 degrees Fahrenheit for the best results, and start with locally produced ingredients wherever feasible.
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How To Grill Chicken Breast
Home » Chicken Recipes » How to Grill Chicken Breast
Learn how to grill chicken breast on a gas grill. Guaranteed tender and moist grilled chicken breast with perfect sear marks, every timejust a few simple steps needed. Plus youll learn about a gas grill that makes grilled chicken breast even easier.
This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of Char-Broil. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Grilling Chicken Breasts On A Gas Grill
When using a gas grill, set your dial to medium to medium-high heat. You want the grill to heat up to about 350F degrees.
To add smoky flavor to your chicken breasts, use a wood chip foil pouch or smoke tube filled with Cowboy Smoking Wood Chips. I like pecan, hickory and apple flavors with chicken.
Place the foil pouch in the back of the grill over the heat. Once it starts smoking, add the chicken breasts to the grill.
Then, place the breasts on the grill top-side-down. Grill them for 3 minutes. Flip them and cook another 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 3 more minutes.
Then, flip them one final time and let them cook for another 3-5 minutes to that internal temp of 165F.
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Can I Cook A Whole Chicken On A Gas Bbq
Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and check for a final temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead of using an instant read thermometer, you may alternatively cut into the thickest portion of the chicken with a paring knife to ensure that there is no visible pink flesh within.
How To Grill Chicken
Start with chicken pieces. Each piece will cook at a different time because of the size, so the chicken can be pulled separately when each is done. When grilling chicken, cooking with Direct and Indirect method is also very important.
Break it down into steps:
- Grill First Over Direct Heat
- Move to Indirect Heat to Finish
- Add Glaze at the End
Direct and Indirect method is having the charcoal or heat source on one side of the grill for searing, and the other side with no charcoal or heat source. This allows the next important technique, to sear the chicken over the direct heat getting the crust on each side, and then moving to indirect heat to finish to the desired internal temperature. This is the key to perfect grilled chicken.
Why does the direct indirect method matter? Because as high heat sears the chicken, the fat from the chicken will render out faster and drip into the coals. This can cause flare ups that send large flames and potentially burn the chicken, creating the crusty dark burnt skin, while still having an under-cooked interior. After searing the chicken to your desired crust, moving the chicken to indirect prevents the fat from causing flare ups and roast like an oven.
Have a gas grill? Unlike a charcoal grill, you can lower the flame. That said, it is still easy to use this method with a gas grill to avoid burning the chicken, even with a lower flame.
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Is It Ok To Eat Chicken Thats A Little Pink
Lets say you used a thermometer that confirmed your chicken reached a safe temperature. When you cut into the chicken, the meat is a little pink or the juices dont run clear. Is the chicken still safe to eat? Probably! Color is a good indicator when you dont have a thermometer, but a chickens coloring can be affected by more than just temperature. Hemoglobin, the chickens feed, whether the chicken has been previously frozen or bone marrow pigment can all color chicken meat, giving it a pink hue even after cooking.
Grilled Chicken Breast Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are super simple. You only need the chicken plus 4 ingredients for the brine and then two ingredients for the rub.
This recipe is great on its own, but you can also add your favorite sauces to the chicken at the end to enhance the flavor even more.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Be sure to buy the breasts that still have the rib or tenderloin meat connected. This ensures even thickness.
- Water: A bottle of water is the perfect size for this recipe, but you can also use 2 cups of tap water.
- Christie Vanovers Chicken Rub from Spiceology: Youll use this in the brine and as a rub.
Substitutions: You can substitute my Chicken Rub with any type of poultry rub. However, mine was engineered to provide a great balance of lemon and herbs with a beautiful rich BBQ color. You can also use virtually any type of cooking oil in place of the olive oil.
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How Do You Tell If Grilled Chicken Is Done
You can tell when grilled chicken is done by checking the temperature and making sure that it is at least 165°F. You can also tell by piercing the chicken and putting a little bit of pressure on it checking to see if the juices are running clear. If there is any pink color to it then it is not done yet.
How Long Should I Grill Chicken At 375
The temperature of 375 degrees is a decent rule of thumb. Not all chicken breasts are made equal some are larger and thicker in comparison to other types of chicken. However, an 8-ounce chicken breast should be cooked for around 30 minutes at 375 degrees. The juices from your chicken breast will flow clear when it is fully cooked through.
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Ingredients For Grilled Chicken Breast
When it comes to grilling, simple is best! Heres what youll need to make perfect grilled chicken breasts:
- Chicken Breast to start, youll need about 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil will keep the chicken from sticking to the grill while also providing some flavor. Adding some good, healthy fat to the outside of the chicken will also allow it to get a nice crispy char.
- Your Favorite Spice Blend youll season the chicken breasts with a tablespoon of your favorite spice blend . Some of the seasoning will fall off while the chicken is grilling, so feel free to sprinkle a little bit more on just before serving, if youd like.
- Sea Salt if your blend of choice doesnt include a lot of salt, go ahead and add about 1 teaspoon of sea salt. If you feel like your blend takes care of the salt, feel free to leave it off.
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Dry Brine With Kosher Salt
This is a trick to get your chicken skin to tighten up a bit and also get rid of some excess moisture on the surface so that you can get crispier skin.
Simply add a generous amount of salt to the entire part of the chicken quarter. Dont be afraid of the amount of salt, some will not be pulled into the meat and fall of on the grill.
Put the chicken into the fridge uncovered for at least 4 hours. You can go more or less with mixed results. Longer is typically better.
This is an important step if you want to get amazing grilled chicken leg quarters.
Tip: Doing a brine is also a great way to add flavor and crispiness to chicken wings and chicken breasts. And dont forget grilled chicken drumsticks!
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Does Size And Weight Change Grill Times
Absolutely! You wouldnt cook a wing for the same amount of time as a whole chicken, would you? So why would you cook an extra thick and juicy chicken breast for the same amount of time as a thinner one? That is just asking for trouble and terrible food!
Now, when many people say weight, what they actually mean is the thickness of the cut. The weight doesnt necessarily matter, but the thickness of the meat is what will determine the cook time. You can have two chicken breasts that weigh exactly the same, but if one is thicker than the other, the thicker cut will take longer to cook.
When comparing identical cuts, you want to look for an even size and shape. If you are not someone who butchers your own meat, make friends with your local butcher! Let them know exactly what size cut you are looking for. That can go a long way in ensuring uniformity in your cuts of meat!
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What Temperature Do You Grill Chicken At
How long should a chicken breast be grilled on the grill? Cooking at 450-500 degrees F requires a grill that has been preheated for 10-15 minutes to provide the best results. Grilling your meat at this temperature should take no more than 8-10 minutes. Make care to turn your meat halfway through the cooking process to ensure that it cooks evenly throughout.
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How Do I Use A Meat Thermometer For Chicken Breasts
If you are using the CheftsTemp QuadXPro oven safe thermometer probes, simply insert them from the top of the breast to the middle of the thickest part. If you are using one of our instant read thermometers insert the probe into the thickest part of the breast for a quick accurate reading while cooking. Chicken breast is a lean cut of meat and can dry out quickly if overcooked. Always cook your chicken to a final temperature of 165°F .
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What Temperature Do You Grill Chicken Breast On A Gas Grill
Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat, about 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit, before cooking.Grill the chicken on a lightly greased grill surface.Close the cover and cook for 8 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned and sear marks appear on them.Cook for another 7-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165° F, after rotating the chicken and covering it with a tight-fitting lid.
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What If I Dont Have A Ninja Foodi Grill
Make this grilled chicken anytime. Feel free to also toss it on your outside grill if you dont own a Ninja Foodi. It will work the same. I find that pellet grills and propane are nice since you can control the temperature a bit more than a wood fire. Either way, you can still cook this without a Ninja Foodi Grill.
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Is Raw Chicken Ok In Fridge For 3 Days
Raw chicken lasts in the fridge for 12 days, while cooked chicken lasts 34 days. To detect if chicken has gone bad, check the best if used by date and look for signs of spoilage like changes in smell, texture, and color. Avoid eating spoiled chicken, as it can cause food poisoning even if you cook it thoroughly.
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What’s The Correct Temperature Of Cooked Chicken The Answer Should Be Pretty Straightforward But There’s A Lot Of Confusion Out There
In culinary school, times and food-safe temperatures were drilled into our heads. How long can cooked food remain unrefrigerated before it become unsafe? What are the conditions where you can defrost a chicken in water instead of the refrigerator? Whats the maximum amount of time that food can remain between 41° and 135°F? The one that was repeated the most often was the proper temperature of cooked chicken. I remember one of my instructors telling us that, as chefs, we basically had a license to kill. We could cause serious damage by serving bad chicken or undercooked chicken, especially when serving at-risk populations . Dramatic, sure, but it scared me enough to memorize the number 165°.
According to the USDA, 165° is the temperature that destroys bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. But some chicken recipes call for cooking chicken to 175°, and Ive seen store-bought packages that say to cook chicken to 185°. So whats the real answer for the correct temperature of cooked chicken? It really depends on what type of chicken youre cooking.