How Long Should You Grill Chicken

Whats The Ideal Temperature To Grill Boneless Chicken Thighs

How to Grill Chicken | How Long to Cook Chicken on a BBQ with Easy Recipe

It would help if you grilled boneless chicken thighs at a lower temperature than bone-in chicken thighs, and the former, in addition, takes less time to cook than the latter. You can cook your boneless chicken thighs at medium to medium-high heat based on your recipe.

The lower the grill temperature, the more time the chicken thighs need to cook.

How Long To Grill Chicken Per Pound

You know by now that the answer for how long to grill chicken doesnt have so much to do with time on the grill per se. Its more about how long it takes for the chicken to reach a safe internal temperature.

However, if youre looking for a quick rule of thumb plan to grill chicken for about 20 to 25 minutes per pound.

Of course the actual cooking time can vary based on which chicken piece youre cooking, if it has bones, and how hot your grill is. But if youre looking for a quick estimate just to help you plan out your meal prep, then grilling for 20 to 25 minutes per pound of chicken is a good estimation.

How To Cook The Chicken On Your Gas Grill:

  • Do NOT close the lid on your grill
  • Cook chicken breasts on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side
  • Turn chicken frequently to cook evenly on both sides and pay attention to hot spots on the grillyou may see some pieces of chicken start to blacken. While it may look appealing, it will become dried out and crunchygross!
  • Keep one of your burners on a lower temperature so you can transfer chicken thats cooking too quickly and slow the burning so it doesnt dry out the meat
  • Do NOT overcook! I recommend removing the chicken when the internal temperature hits 157-160 degrees Fahrenheit and covering with foil so the carryover cooking brings it up to the USDA minimum of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

We have posted some great recipes over the years, so follow the tips above and find a recipe below you like and enjoy some delicious chicken!

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Try These Grill Prep Tips To You Master Your Charcoal Grill:

  • Choose the right type of charcoal. For chicken and pork, I recommend using natural hardwood lump charcoal. It burns hot and imparts a great flavor to the meat. Avoid briquettes, which are made of sawdust and other fillers.
  • Preheat your grill. This is critical! Dont put your chicken on the grill until its nice and hot. I like to preheat my grill for at least 15 minutes.
  • Use a charcoal chimney. A chimney makes it easier to get the coals going without the need for lighter fluid. Simply fill the chimney with coals, place it on the grates of your grill, and light it.
  • Use a grill brush to scrub the grill grates clean. This step is important because you dont want any burnt bits of food on your grill.
  • Set up your grill for indirect heat. This means that youll have your coals banked to one side or the other, with an empty space in the middle. This creates temperature zones on your grill, so you can move your chicken around to ensure even cooking while preventing it from getting burnt on the outside before the inside is cooked through.
  • Use wood chips for smokier flavor 30 minutes before starting the charcoal, soak the wood chips in water. You only need about 1/2 cup of wood chips for this. This will help them to smoke more. When your charcoals are ashy and ready to use, drain the wood chips and add them to the hot coals.

Tips For Cooking Chicken Kabobs

This is how long you should cook chicken on the grill

The following tips are important to keep in mind when cooking chicken kabob recipes:

Ideal cooking duration The amount of time it takes to cook the chicken typically depends on the size of the chunks youre using, and how high the temperature of your grill can go. Ideally, you should allow 10 to 15 minutes in total as the cooking time, rotating the skewers a couple times to get even browning on all sides. When a piece of chicken is cut, the fluids should run clear and the internal temperature of the chicken should hit 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer this way, youll know that the chicken is cooked fully.

How long to marinate The can be left on the chicken for up to 30 minutes or as long as three hours, but no longer. The meat will begin to decompose after three hours.

If you want to get ahead on the preparation, cut and prepare the other ingredients ahead of time, but dont put the chicken in the marinade until the grilling time draws closer.

Working with skewers Youll need to take note of the following when using skewers during the cooking process:

Alternative cooking methods to try You may not always be able to cook your chicken kabobs on a grill, but thats okay. There are also several other ways to make this recipe check out these options:

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How To Grill Chicken: Avoid These Mistakes

Even if you have the absolute best grilled chicken recipes on hand and you follow them exactly, something could go wrong. Maybe your chicken is simultaneously raw and burnt, and even though you marinated your bird, its still bland. What did you do? Knowing what mistakes to avoid when cooking chicken on your grill can help you turn that potential party foul into a party-ready fowl.

What Is The Right Temperature For Cooked Chicken

The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 165 for all poultry. However, when taking a temperature reading, the location of your thermometer probe is crucial.

  • As recommended by the FDAs article on Kitchen Thermometers, if cooking a whole bird you should take the temperature at the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone.
  • If youre cooking individual parts of chicken, be sure to test the thickest section. If your chicken parts are unevenly thick or irregularly shaped, its recommended to test in several different places to make sure that it is evenly cooked throughout.

You may have heard that if you cut your cooked chicken and the juices run clear, it is thoroughly cooked. Unfortunately, this method doesnt always hold true.

Older chicken, in particular, tends to run clear more easily. In these instances, the juices can run clear even when the meat is undercooked.

Why risk your health and that of your friends and family when a meat thermometer will let you know for certain in just a few seconds?

Once cooked, the USDA recommends against keeping chicken in the temperature danger zone between 40 to 140where pathogenic bacteria can rapidly multiply.

Cooked chicken can be safely kept below 40 for three to four days, but should be disposed of after this time has passed.

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Fix: How To Dry Chicken

If your chicken has been in brine or is simply a little damp, make sure you pat it dry with paper towels before you put it on the grill. Doing otherwise is a rookie grilling mistake. Not only will seasonings like salt and spices adhere and penetrate the flesh more effectively, but you will also get a nicer crust and color on your chicken.

How To Thin Thick Chicken Breasts

How to Grill Chicken

I usually use a meat hammer, but the bottom of a heavy pan will do nicely.

You need to protect yourself and the surrounding area from splatter. Most people will place the chicken in plastic wrap for this, but I like one-gallon freezer bags.

See Chicken To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for more food safety discussion about chicken.

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How Long To Grill Chicken Quarters At 350f

Chicken quarters aand split chickens typically have both the skin and bone still attached. Since they are larger and have more surface area, they will take a bit longer to cook through than boneless chicken breasts or thighs. I recommend grilling chicken quarters and split chickens at 350F for about 15 minutes per side , or until they reach an internal temperature of 165F in the thickest part of the meat.

Why This Recipe Works

Chicken thighs Chicken thighs are tender and juicy and especially tasty when marinated in this cilantro lime sauce. They just really work well in this recipe for grilled, boneless chicken thighs.

Marinades dont have to be complicated, as evidenced by this simple, easy cilantro lime chicken marinade. All it takes is oil, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and a couple hours in the fridge. That cilantro lime taste will really shine through on the grilled chicken thighs!

Simple ingredients You probably have most of the ingredients you need in your fridge or pantry right now. The only thing you might have to get is fresh cilantro, which is at just about every grocery store in the produce aisle.

Family friendly My kids love, love, love this chicken thighs recipe. They dont even question that the chicken isnt the boneless, skinless chicken breasts they are used to. All they know is that its chicken and its delicious!

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How To Grill Chicken Breasts:

We love to grill and have perfected this skill over time. Today, I am going to share our best tips so that you can enjoy wonderful chicken on the grill every time.

My husband has become quite the grill master. I am sure most of you know someone who is great at grilling and I really think my husband is the best. He can grill just about ANYTHING and it always tastes delicious.

However. he hasnt always been good. We have eaten overcooked zucchini and burnt chicken before. But over the past few years he has gotten better and better.

Now he is officially the GRILL MASTER! By the way, speaking of grilled chicken see How I Froze and Marinated 40 lbs of Chicken. This is great for grilling chicken. It is an easy way to save money and time all at once.

Why Should You Preheat Your Grill Before Cooking Chicken Thighs

How Long to Smoke Chicken Quarters: A Quick Guide to Smoking

First, you should preheat your grill to the recommended temperature if youre using a charcoal grill or a pellet smoker. Its always best to preheat your grill on high settings and gradually lower the temperature. Doing so will ensure that you get the right temperature from the start and that the cooking time remains the same as estimated. It is because charcoal grills and pellet smokers take longer to reach the desired temperature.

On the other hand, a gas grill doesnt take much time to prepare. However, it would be best if you also preheated a gas grill with its lid close to the desired temperature for more accuracy.

If you dont preheat your grill before putting your food onto the grill grates, the estimated cooking time can go irrelevant or altogether invalid. Consequently, you may end up undercooking your food and exposing yourself to food-borne illnesses.

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How Can You Tell If Chicken Is Done Without A Thermometer

To determine if a whole chicken is done without a thermometer youll need to cut into the skin between the body and the leg and thigh to see if its still overly pink. Generally, this area will take longer to cook than the breast area so it is a good indicator of how far your chicken is coming along temperature-wise.

Mistake: Not Using A Meat Thermometer

One of the top restaurant secrets home chefs need to know is that you cannot cook by color or feel. A piece of meat can look great from the outside all grill marks and crispy skin but then you take a bite and discover a horrifying truth: Its raw. Its also easy to just let your chicken cook and cook and cook, leaving you with a rubbery, dry piece of meat at the end of the day. The only solution is to use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is food safe without being dried out.

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Summary Of The Key Findings

  • How long you should grill chicken thighs depends on whether you are grilling boneless or bone-in chicken thighs.
  • You should grill on indirect heat, both on gas and charcoal grills.
  • Use a meat thermometer to determine if the meat is cooked.

How To Grill Chicken Thighs And Drumsticks

How to Grill Chicken

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:

  • Choose your thigh cut. Thighs can be grilled bone-in, boneless, with skin either on or off. I prefer the bone in place and the skin on for the full chicken thigh experience.
  • Quick sear over direct high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Thighs and drumsticks are a great example of two-zone grilling. To start, do a fast sear on all sides over direct high heat, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Finish cooking over indirect medium heat . Move the thighs and drumsticks to the indirect heat spot on your grill. The higher fat content in thighs and drumsticks can lead to flareups, which is why an indirect part of the grill is the best place to finish cooking. Cook to 165º F internal, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Be careful the temperature probe does not touch the bone!
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    What About Adding Sauces

    If you want to baste with your favorite barbecue sauce or hot sauce, wait until the last few minutes of cooking when the chicken is almost cooked through. Adding sauces too early can cause the sauce to burn.

    If youre using a BBQ sauce, I recommend brushing it on during the last 5 minutes of cooking. For hot sauce, I like to add it once the chicken is off the grill. This way I can control how much heat I add.

    Seasoning For Grilled Chicken Breasts

    I have a suggested seasoning that you can adjust to your needs but use what you want. Most commercial seasonings are heavy in salt, and if used with a brined chicken breasts will be too salty for most tastes.

    BBQ sauce will work fine the last few minutes on this, but I prefer to build up a base of the sauce and suggest you see How to BBQ Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast on a Gas Grill.

    I do love a good marinade for chicken. I have two on the site and recommend either one. Garlic Lemon Marinade for Chicken and Easy Chicken Marinade .

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    How To Grill Chicken On A Gas Grill

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

    Chicken breasts are by far the most difficult protein to cook perfectly on the grill, but, man, when you nail it, isnt it delicious?! Chicken breasts are very lean and must be cooked to USDA minimum temperature in order to kill off salmonella, so theyre easy to overcook which leads to dried out, tasteless protein. Follow these tips below to nail it every single time.

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Check our disclosure policy for more details.

    How Long To Grill All The Different Cuts Of Chicken

    How Long Should You Grill Chicken Breast

    Now that you know the safe temperature of cooked chicken, and how to check the temperature of your barbecue, lets take a look at how long it takes to grill the different parts and cuts of a chicken.

    We cover all the cuts from whole chickens down to thighs and wings, with some expert notes and tips to be mindful of for each.

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    Tips For How To Grill Chicken Without Drying It Out

    Grilled chicken is an incredibly versatile food. I am a huge fan of the flavor and protein boost that grilled chicken can add to just about any meal, from salad to stir fry to sandwiches, creating an incredible meal.

    However, theres an issue with grilled chicken: its often incredibly dry. Overdry, stringy chicken is far from incrediblemore like barely edible. Not exactly the stuff of culinary dreams.

    Luckily, attaining perfectly moist, evenly cooked, flavorful grilled chicken is within reach for chefs at any level. By following some simple kitchen wisdom in the ways of grilling chicken, youll be guaranteed great results every time.

    14 Tips for How to Grill Chicken without Drying It Out. Armed with these 14 simple tips, youll be well on your way to concocting perfectly moist grilled chicken dishes.

  • Start with good quality chicken. Perhaps this tip sounds like common sense, but its well worth a mention, because poor quality chicken is a key cause of dried-out, poorly cooked grilled chicken. If a chicken hasnt been properly fed or taken care of, it will reflect poorly on the flavor of the meat.
  • Buy the best chicken you can, from a trusted and ideally local source. The better the quality of the chicken you start with, the better the quality of your finished results. This guide is a helpful resource on how to buy the best chicken.

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