How To Grill Chicken Thighs Without Burning Them
Here are some tips on how to cook chicken thighs without drying or burning them:
- Dont step away from the grilled chicken thighs keep an eye on them, especially if youre using a marinade with honey. Honey has sugar, which can burn, so move the grilled chicken thighs away from the hot side of the grill.
- Grill chicken on indirect rather than on direct heat. If you put the chicken over a direct flame, the chicken skin is likely to burn.
- Dont flip the chicken too early, or the outside can stick and burn on the grill.
- The grill temperature shouldnt go over 400 degrees. You want juicy chicken thighs, and a too high temperature will dry them out.
Related Articles:
How Long Do You Grill Chicken On A Gas Grill
Cooking the chicken on a gas grill is as follows:
It is not necessary to close the cover of your grill. Medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 157-160 degrees, depending on how thick the chicken breasts are
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!
You May Like: How To Grill Boneless Chicken Breast
How Long Do You Cook Drumsticks On The Grill
Most drumsticks sold in the supermarket are relatively different in size. Cooking drumsticks on the grill will depend on the thickness of the meat or the fats that are inside it.
So for a standard chicken drumstick, you need to cook it on the grill for at least 30 minutes. You can adjust the longevity of the cooking process depending on the thickness of the drumsticks.
There are many things to consider as well when it comes to cooking chicken drumsticks. The basis is to know the chickens internal temperature to know whether or not it is done.
For a regular chicken wing, you will need to cook it longer than steaks and other cuts of meat. You also need to remember that you need to flip the chicken every after 10 minutes.
This will prevent the chicken from overcooking on the other side and leaving the other side a bit raw. You need to make sure that the blood inside the bones cooks or removed completely.
Chicken is also one of the main types of meat where people accidentally get diseases such as salmonella because they have accidentally cooked the chicken with the wrong timing.
That is why it is also important to invest in a good meat probe to measure the chickens internal temperature. That way, you can be sure that the bacteria inside are killed.
So while the safest way to grill chicken is to cook it for 30 minutes, you still need to measure the chickens internal temperature to make sure that it is cooked properly with no bacteria inside.
Grilling Times At A Glance
These grilling times are based on a minimal internal temperature of 165 degrees F, as recommended by the USDA.
- Boneless chicken breasts: 7 to 8 minutes per side
- Bone-in chicken breasts: 15 minutes per side
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 5 to 6 minutes per side
- Bone-in chicken thighs: 8 to 10 minutes per side
- Chicken wings: 25 minutes total, flipping occasionally
Don’t Miss: Macaroni Grill Restaurant Group
What About Marinating Chicken Before Grilling
I am a big fan of a good marinade or spice rub. Marinating chicken before grilling adds flavor and helps to tenderize the meat. Plus if there is oil in the marinade, I dont need to add additional oil to prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill.
There are endless ways to marinate chicken, but some of my favorites are this Yogurt Chicken Marinade or this Spicy Chicken Tikka Marinade. If youre looking for a dry rub, I really like this all-purpose BBQ Dry Rub and for heat, I really like Franks Red Hot Dry Seasoning.
How Long Should You Grill Chicken For
“Depending on the part of the chicken, cook to temperatures shown below, anywhere from 5-15 minutes, starting on indirect heat for the bone-in, skin-on pieces. Then transfer to direct heat for the last 5-7 minutes to get the skin crispy,” says Sidoti.
The chef provides us with a breakout of what the internal temperature of each part of the chicken should be after grilling.
- Boneless chicken breast: 165°F
- Bone-in chicken breast halves: 170°F
- Boneless thighs: 170°F
- Bone-in thighs: 170-175°F
Read Also: Napoleon Prestige Pro 665 Vs Weber Summit 670
How To Grill Chicken Thighs And Drumsticks
The frequently used thighs and legs of a chicken result in the succulent fat-laden dark meat thighs and drumsticks. Harder to overcook and, in my opinion, more flavorful than breasts, thighs and drumsticks are among my favorite cuts to grill. Heres what to do:
Tips For Amazing Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters
Here are some of the amazing tips for the perfect grilling chicken leg quarters every time.
- Rub the grates of the grill with oil before even cooking. It may help you in keeping the chicken from sticking during grilling.
- Cook your chicken on medium flame to avoid burning it. The basting sauce may help you in giving the color to your chicken, but the flame that is too high can sear the chickens skin before your chicken is grilled. It is better to preheat your grill to 500 degrees F and lower it to almost 350 degrees when your chicken is over the coals.
- Always cover your grill. Because a covered grill may create a seal that surrounds your chicken from all the sides and it makes sure an even cook as you are grilling. There is no lid on your grill? Well! Turn a disposable foil roasting pan upside down on the chicken for a similar effect.
- Never baste with barbecue sauce until the end. As the sugars in the sauce are guaranteed to scorch your chickens skin when it is not even cooked, therefore save it for 5 to 8 minutes.
- It is better to use a thermometer as your chicken has to be cooked to a safe temperature of 165 degrees F. And one of the best and easiest ways to ensure that is by using an instant-read meat thermometer.
Read Also: Washing Cast Iron Grill Pan
How To Precook Chicken Before Grilling
Grilling your chicken can be tricky. You want it to stay juicy and tender, but you also want it cooked evenly on the inside. If you undercook the outside of the meat, then all that raw chicken juice will leak out onto the grill and give off a strong odor that tastes bad!
Luckily there is an easy way to ensure that your grilled chicken turns out well every time: pre-cooking it beforehand.
In this guide, well show you how to precook chicken before grilling so that it comes out perfectly every time.
Contents
What Temperature Do You Pull Chicken Breast Off The Grill
As previously said, chicken must be properly cooked before it is considered safe to consume. In light of the fact that both time and temperature have an impact on the safety of a chicken, we recommend pulling the flesh at 155°F and then tenting it with foil to keep the temperature constant for a few minutes after that.
Also Check: Macaroni Grill Closures
Is It Better To Cook Chicken On Low Heat Or High Heat
The longer you cook chicken, the better it will taste. That is the general guideline when it comes to preparing protein. When you first place the chicken breast in the pan, turn the heat up to medium-high to get it started. Even though your oven will be splattered, you will get tender chicken if you leave the skin on the bird.
Grill Setup For Grilling Chicken
You can NOT cook chicken properly on high heat. You will dry the outside long before the inside is even close to done or safe.
I suggest a grill surface temperature of about 450°. A little less is fine, and a smidge more is OK but never over 500°.
To get this right, you usually should have a grill surface thermometer. The hood thermometer is ALWAYS wrong.
If you don’t have a surface thermometer , medium will be about 400°-450° on most gas grills. The cooking time will be different, but as long as you get the end-point of 165° correct with an instant-read thermometer, you will do ok.
Can I do this on a charcoal grill? Yes, but you need to be very careful about surface temperature. And, of course, times will vary. On most charcoal grills, you will need to adjust the venting.
You May Like: Keep Grill Open Or Closed
Other Factors That Affect Chicken Cooking Time
Chicken type, thickness, bone density, and grill heat all greatly affect your cooking time, but are there any other factors to consider for how long to grill chicken?
Using a wet brine or marinade will likely increase the cooking time of your chicken by at least a few minutes. This is because it will take a little bit longer for the skin or outside of the chicken to brown and crisp. Dry rubs or seasonings on the other hand wont affect your cooking times.
The other way you can reduce your cooking time is to cut your chicken into smaller sizes. It wont work for all pieces, especially bone-in chicken parts, but if you have chicken breast for example you could cut down your grilling time by slicing it into thinner or smaller sections.
Why Does It Take So Long To Grill Chicken Wings
Chicken wings need a slightly crispy texture, not as crispy as those fried chicken but a bit slight. Also, proper heat is required to grill the wings as you are not keeping only one piece on the grill at a time, so to grill them as a whole takes some minutes but will surely gonna make your taste buds satisfied with the explosion of flavors and that slight crispiness.
The preparation of the marinade will take some time for sure, some people also skip that part but there is no legal law regarding cooking stuff, right? So grill it as you wish, just make sure that the flavors get combined properly and the texture remains good. A ziplock bag can also be used to make sure the marinade is perfectly coated all around the Chicken wings before you keep them on the grill.
The actual cooking of the wings under direct heat. The actual cooking will also take some time and in some situations, it reaches 30 minutes also so dont be in a hurry. Take a chill pill and rest for some minutes, but keep an eye on the burner and swing those chicken wings with tongs to check how much it has got cooked.
You May Like: How To Care For Cast Iron Grill Pan
How Long To Grill Chicken Breasts
According to the USDA, all poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Using an instant-read meat thermometer is really the only accurate way to gauge your chicken’s doneness. But in the case that you don’t have a thermometer, cut into the chicken and ensure that the juices run clear. Here are the estimated grilling times for chicken breasts, based on an internal temp of 165 degrees F.
- Boneless chicken breasts: 7 to 8 minutes per side
- Bone-in chicken breasts: 15 minutes per side
How Do You Grill Drumsticks Without Burning Them
Chicken takes longer to cook than steak, but it is quite hard to manage as it is more prone to stick on the grill grates. That is why there are ways to cook drumsticks without burning them.
To prevent the chicken drumsticks from burning, you can do some tricks when grilling. The first one is to prevent the chicken drumsticks from sticking to the grill grate when cooking.
First, get a brush and make sure that there are no food residuals on the grill grate. Brush it thoroughly, get a paper towel, and spray some oil on the grill grates before wiping it.
This is done before heating the grill so that the oil does not drip or burn away. The oil will help the drumsticks cook properly without the skin sticking onto the grill grates when heated.
You can also wipe all sides of the chicken with oil before putting them on the grill. Its either that you can make an oil-based marinade and let the drumsticks soak first in the marinade.
If that seems inconvenient or you do not want too many extra flavors in the chicken, you can do the oiled grill grates technique and then place a flame guard under the grill grates.
Also Check: Temp To Cook Pork Loin On Grill
How Long Do You Grill Chicken Breast At 300 Degrees
You may cook it upright in a beer can chicken recipe or on its back the optimum temperature range for your grill is 200300 degrees Fahrenheit . A lengthy, slow cooking procedure will take around 1-1/2 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the bird and how effectively your grill maintains the temperature of the food being cooked.Stir the water and salt together in a large mixing dish.
Contents
How Long Should You Let The Chicken Rest Before Grilling How About After Grilling
You might know about letting meat rest after cooking, but you should also be letting chicken rest pre-grilling, too. Before you toss a slab of chicken on the grill, let the poultry come to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
“If you put cold chicken on the grill, the heat will dry out the chicken before the inside is done,” explains Sidoti. “Room temperature meat cooks more evenly and fewer juices will leak while cooking.”
This same concept can be applied to red meat, so make sure to let burgers rest before you begin flipping them on the grill so that they come out tender and juicy as well.
After the chicken is done, you’ll want to remove the meat from the grill and onto a plate where it will finish cooking as it rests. Think of it as a mandatory last stop before you tear your knife into it. Sidoti says to let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into it to prevent the juices from spilling out.
Recommended Reading: Bubba Burger Grill Temperature
Difference Between Indirect Or Direct Heat
Indirect heat is the type of heat that comes from an area that is not directly in contact with the food.
Direct heat, on the other hand, refers to the hot air and flame that comes directly in contact with the food.
Indirect heat is usually achieved by either grilling over a fire or cooking on a grill that has been pre-heated with indirect heat or not directly over the flame.
Direct heat is usually achieved by grilling over a fire or cooking on a grill that has been pre-heated with direct heat.
How To Store Leftover Chicken
Let the grilled chicken sit a room temperature about 10 minutes to cool off, then refrigerate or freeze based on the times below.
- Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 34 days.
- Freeze whole, shredded, or chopped pieces tightly sealed up to 34 months. I like to freeze in separate smaller bags for easy leftover portions.
Recommended Reading: How To Grill Boneless Chicken Breast
How Long To Cook Chicken Drumsticks On The Grill
Chicken meat is pretty easy to cook as it is soft, and you do not have to deal with much fat. So here is the answer to the question, how long to cook chicken drumsticks on the grill.
There are many parts to choose from when it comes to chicken.
This part of the chicken comprises a decent amount of meat and the bone in the center.
The bone helps make the chicken tender and is also a great handle when eating the chicken.
When you think about it, it is easy to cook, and yes, that is true. However, it is also easy to mess up as you can either overcook or undercook it if you do not know how to time it properly.
There is a certain timing you need to follow when cooking your drumsticks on your grill. If you use direct heat, you need to be careful with a lot of things,
So with this guide, you will be able to make the best drumsticks without worrying about undercooking or overcooking the drumsticks. So let us get into the guide.
