Easy Grilled Chicken Breast
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Grilled Chicken Breast is a quick meal with tender juicy chicken in a flavorful marinade. Its extra quick to make and perfect to enjoy on its own, add to pasta, or even put on top of a salad!
A quick and flavorful marinade and an even quicker grill time means this is meal on the table in no time at all!
Nutrition Of Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast
As mentioned, chicken breast is a healthy meal option for those of us who eat animal protein and prefer it lean. Here are some of the values for a 3.5 ounce cooked portion of chicken breast:
- Saturated fat: 1 gram
- Cholesterol: 85 milligrams
Boneless, skinless chicken breast is a good source of certain vitamins and minerals. A single serving may provide your daily needs for iron, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-12, and selenium. It is also a good source of zinc.
How To Make Bbq Chicken Breasts
First, place the boneless chicken breasts in a resealable or Ziploc bag. Next, add the olive oil, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper.
Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Once the chicken has marinated, remove the breasts from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Next, preheat an outdoor gas or electric grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.Brush the chicken breasts with barbecue sauce, then grill the chicken for four minutes.
Flip the chicken, brush again with BBQ sauce, then continue to grill for four minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 164 degrees Fahrenheit.
Finally, remove the chicken from the grill. Brush the chicken with barbecue sauce one last time and allow the flavors to mend and rest for five to ten minutes.
Slice the chicken and serve. Enjoy!
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Boneless Chicken Breast Recipe Preparation
The secret to perfectly grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts is to use a meat tenderizer, or hammer, to flatten the thicker portion of the breast and make on uniform shape, like a steak. Because there is no skin, pounding the thicker side makes it easier to create that uniform shape.
- Pound the thick side with a meat tenderizer for uniform size.
- The chicken breasts on the right have been pounded, the ones on the left have not
Chefs Note: If you dont have a meat tenderizer, you can use a hammer, but the hammer head is very small and can puncture the chicken. So if all you have is a hammer, make sure to pound very gently. Alternatively you can use a rolling pin.
Mix Up A Marinade Dry Rub Or Brine
Unless glazing with a barbecue sauce, always season your chicken, whether it’s boneless breasts or the whole bird. Wet marinades, dry rubs and brines all add flavor and moisture to chicken breasts and can also act as a tenderizer. Here’s what to know about each type:
A wet marinade is any type of highly seasoned liquid, such as herb or spice pastes, wines, spiced oils, vinaigrettes, yogurt/buttermilk, Cuban mojo, etc. If a marinade includes something very acidic, like vinegar, wine or citrus, keep the marinating time relatively quick 30 minutes to three hours, depending upon the thickness of the chicken breast and cut it with a little olive oil. Yogurt and buttermilk, which are both rich in lactic acid, are much less acidic and can stand a longer marinating time two to six hours, depending upon the chicken’s thickness. Non-acidic marinades, like herbs and spices mixed with oils, can sit for two to 10 hours.
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How To Grill Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
If you peruse the many, many chicken recipes on this site, you’ll find me bashing skinless, boneless chicken breasts for grilling over and over again. That’s because these relatively flavorless pieces of meat are, while incredibly ubiquitous, one of the more difficult standard meats to get right. That’s due to a combo of a hot fire and their lack of fat which can quickly render them dry and unpleasant, so rather than risk releasing a recipe that can easily not output the intended results, I more often than not opt for the much more forgiving and flavorful chicken thighs. All is not bad in boneless, skinless chicken breast land though, and if you’re armed with the knowledge of why they’re notoriously difficult to get right and how to deal with those pitfalls correctly, you’ll be on the road to the juiciest grilled chicken breasts possible.
How To Cook Bbq Chicken On The Grill
Prepare clean grill grates to minimize sticking and preheat the grill at 400-450°F. Drizzle the chicken breasts with olive or canola oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the breasts on the hot grill grates and cook for 4-6 minutes with the lid closed. If the chicken sticks to the grill grate, let it cook a minute more before trying to flip again. Cook on the second side for another 4-5 minutes. Baste with your favorite BBQ sauce, flip, and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Repeat on the other side side. The chicken is done when the internal temp is 160°F and the juices run clear. Let the chicken rest a few minutes for the temp to raise to 165°F and the juices to settle before serving.
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How To Grill Chicken Breast On A Gas Grill
- Coat both sides of chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper or desired seasonings. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat gas grill before cooking to medium-high heat, or 350-400° F.
- Lightly grease grill surface and add chicken. Close lid and cook 8 minutes, or until bottoms are browned with sear marks.
- Rotate chicken, close lid, reduce heat to medium, and cook 7-10 minutes more, or until internal temperature reaches 165° F.
- Remove chicken breast from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Grilled Boneless Bbq Chicken Breast
By Rena Awada | Published on June 22, 2022
Home » Main Courses » Grilled Boneless BBQ Chicken Breast
Enjoy this tender, sweet, and tangy BBQ grilled chicken breast recipe with a simple . Barbecue and boneless chicken breasts are cooked on a gas grill or grill pan until moist, juicy, and a little crispy.
Cooking bbq and boneless chicken breasts on the grill is super easy with this quick and failproof recipe. Grilled chicken breasts are high in protein and perfectly juicy over your gas grill or pan. The BBQ is made of a simple blend of oil, garlic, salt, and pepper making the chicken extra tasty and delicious.
Easy grilled chicken breast recipes are the perfect match for whenever you want to enjoy brightbarbecue flavors, BBQ cookouts, holidays, and so much more. Pair your chicken breasts with your favorite potato salad,leafy greens, veggies, etc.
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Possible Substitutes And Variations For This Recipe
- Use chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts .
- Try other herbs in place of they thyme such as basil, rosemary, parsley, cilantro, dill, or oregano.
- Substitute fresh herbs for dried and use 1 Tbsp to 2 Tbsp depending on the herb .
- Increase flavor by adding spices such as sweet or smoked paprika, cayenne pepper or onion powder.
- For lemony chicken use 1 Tbsp lemon zest or you could even use lemon juice in place of chicken broth but dont marinate longer than a few hours for a better texture .
- Sugar or maple syrup can be used in place of honey.
- In a pinch water can be used in place of chicken broth, like as done in a standard brining solution.
- Extra virgin olive oil can be used in place of regular refined olive oil if you want a little more flavor from this ingredient.
Grill The Chicken Breasts To An Internal Temperature Of 165f
Slap those chicken breasts on the grill and theyll be done just as you finish your beer. The two I cooked for this recipe were pretty big, and they took a total cook time of maybe 15 minutes. I flipped them about every five minutes.
Obviously cook time depends on the size.
Heres the part thats tough for me to explain without showing you: When are they done? Firm, not hard. They have some give, but not soft. Internal temp should be about 165. Id rather see you pull them off a bit early and have to put them back on.
Experiment. Cook several, taking them off in intervals to test for perfect doneness until you are comfortable and confident. Dont forget let them rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Look at these pictures. Do you SEE the juice? Im telling you, I ate one right after this picture was taken and it was outstanding. Hitting it with those high temperatures closed up those pores and trapped the juices inside. I was careful not to pierce the meat , so the juices had nowhere to go.
Youre going to be so excited when you nail these. Grilled chicken is so good with so many things. Im sure my wife, Patti, will be sharing some of her recipes in the future with some of the uses of a deliciously grilled chicken breast.
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How To Grill Chicken Breasts:
1. Preheat the grill on high for 10-15 minutes, then use your grill brush to scrape any previous remnants off your grates.
2. the fully thawed chicken breasts. A clean and easy way to marinate the chicken is to place it in a large plastic zip top bag, add your marinade and make sure your entire chicken breast is covered. In this particular instance, I used olive oil and added a few fresh basil leaves.
3. Here’s how long to grill chicken on a gas grill. Once you have preheated your grill for 10-15 minutes, prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat at 425-450°F and get your iGrill probes inserted into the chicken.
4. Place marinated chicken breasts on grill over direct medium heat.
Set Up Your Grill For Direct Cooking
Now set up your grill for direct cooking and get it good and hot. You should be targeting a lid temperature of about 400-450F but dont worry if the temperature is off some in either direction.
- If you are cooking on a gas grill like the Weber Traveler then set your burner control to Medium High.
- If you are cooking on a charcoal grill then you will want to use a full chimney of lit Kingsford spread evenly across the bottom charcoal grate.
Let the grill pre-heat for 10-15 minutes to give the cooking grates plenty of time to get hot.
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How Long Do You Grill Chicken Breasts For
This is the biggest question that I get. It really does end up depending on how thick your chicken breasts are. If you flattened them, as discussed, theyre going to need about 4 minutes per side over direct medium-high heat . If your grill doesnt have a thermometer, heres how to find out what temperature its at.
After 4 minutes, you flip them over and do the other side for 4 minutes. This is going to get you nice parallel grill marks on your chicken. If you want crosshatched grill marks, after the first 2 minutes, turn the breasts 90 degrees and cook for 2 more minutes. Then flip and do the same thing on the other side, 2 minutes then turn, then 2 more minutes. But note that the crosshatched ones wont be as dark as the parallel ones. I therefore prefer to just do the 4 minutes per side without turning.
How To Grill Chicken Breasts That Are Sooo Juicy
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How long do you grill chicken breasts for? Do they need to be brined or marinated? How do you get good grill marks? How do you grill the juiciest chicken breasts? All your grilled chicken breast answers are here!
With summer and grilling season coming up, its a great time to grill up some chicken as an entree, to put onto salads, or to use in your favorite chicken recipes. Its therefore a good idea that we take a moment to tackle the conundrum of grilling chicken breasts.
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Sunny’s Hot Honey Brined & Grilled Chicken
Cheat the marinade: Seasoned pickle juice makes a great brine or quick marinade when mixed with oil. Leftover vinaigrette or even bottled vinaigrettes are very good, too. Just be sure to read the labels sugar can burn quickly, so pay attention when grilling.
Glaze: Love a sticky, slightly sweet, caramelized glaze on your chicken? Brush barbecue sauce on about 2 to 3 minutes before the chicken is done. That way the meat doesn’t overcook and the glaze doesn’t burn. Don’t have any sauce? No problem. Just mix some apricot jam, a squirt of ketchup, a shot of bourbon and dash of chipotle powder for an almostinstant substitute.
What Is The Proper Way To Grill Chicken
A basic brine solution consisting of 1/4 cup kosher salt diluted in 4 cups water is all that is needed for 30 minutes. These two hours will be sufficient for the chicken breasts to absorb sufficient moisture in order to more effectively withstand the high temperatures of the grill without drying out.
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Boneless Skinless Grilled Chicken Breast
Ingredients
Your marinade can be different every time. Start with sour cream, oil, and garlic, then add the herbs, spices, and condiments that suit you and suit the meal.
- 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 c sour cream
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- sweet: I usually use 1 tbsp honey, but molasses, agave, coconut or brown sugar also work well.
- herbs & spices: 1-2 tbsp dried herbs and spices. This will completely depend on my mood and the sides that will compliment the chicken. The herbs I like to use include basil, rosemary, dill, oregano, thyme, parsley, and sage. Other spices that I might reach for are chili powder, paprika, cumin, other pepper powders, cinnamon, and turmeric.
- tang: Sour cream is tangy on its own, but I often add a little more tang: 1 tbsp mustard, fresh or pickled ginger, lemon or lime juice, vinegar, or lemon or orange zest.
Process
- Grind all of the marinade ingredients in a mini food-processor or chopper/grinder.
Place sour cream, oil, garlic, and seasonings in a grinder, chopper, or food processor and grind. The color of your marinade will depend on the ingredients you include. This one included honey, paprika, parsley, and dill.
After you pat the chicken dry, season and tenderize. Tenderizing works in your seasonings but also levels the grilling ground. Pound the chicken to achieve an even thickness without compromising the composition of the meat.
An Easy Marinade For Grilled Chicken Breasts
For 4 chicken breasts I like to combine the following ingredients in a ziptop bag:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
You could use a mixture of lemon juice and white wine vinegar, or just cider vinegar instead of the lemon, if youd like. And you can use a different herb. This one calls for thyme, but dried oregano and dried rosemary are also really nice.
Combine those ingredients in a zip top bag. Then add the chicken to the bag and seal it. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or overnight. Remove chicken from the bag, discard the marinade. Grill the chicken according to the instructions below.
Okay, now that we have the prep for our chicken breasts done, its time to learn how to grill them!
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Boneless Chicken Breast Or Bone
Boneless chicken breasts wont have as much flavor as the bone-in/skin-on variety. Thats why basting in BBQ sauce at the end of the cooking time is where youll find a lot of flavor. And when seasoned and cooked correctly, even my recipe for basic sauce-less grilled chicken breasts can taste flavorful and juicy every time.
Most chicken eaters prefer the white meat of chicken breasts. So for chicken thats cooked quick, I use basic, skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Of course you can use this same cooking method for skin-on, bone-in BBQ chicken breasts, or for legs and thighs too. The technique is the same, the cooking times will vary.
Larger chicken breasts do not always translate to better chicken. Bigger breasts take longer to cook, and cook unevenly or overcook. Look for chicken breasts that are between 6 to 9 ounces per piece. If youre chicken breasts are thin on the ends and fat in the middle, trim the thin ends off so they dont crisp and burn..
If you want an extra fast BBQ chicken breast, slice your boneless breasts in half lengthwise to make two thin cutlets. Theyll cook in half the time.
