How To Grill Boneless Chicken Breast

Tip #1: Pound The Breasts Before Grilling

How To Grill Boneless Chicken Breasts

Chicken breast is a very unforgiving meat. As soon as it tips over its ideal temperature, it will almost immediately begin drying out. The physical shape of the breast isn’t kind in this respect, as its uneven height means the bulky center cannot be cooked through without the thinner portions of the meat overcooking first.

There’s an easy solution to this problem: Even out the height. This involves giving the chicken a nice beating, which is also great for relieving any pent-up aggression.

I like to put the chicken in a resealable plastic bag for the poundingthe thick plastic won’t break when whacked, and the sealed bag ensures chicken juice doesn’t splatter all over the kitchen.

Once it’s safely in a bag, I go at it with a heavy skillet or a meat pounder, bashing the thicker parts of the breast until they match the height of the thinnest part. But don’t go too thin here; keep the height around three-quarters of an inch. A chicken breast that’s pounded out too thin will be more susceptible to drying out over high heat.

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.

Reverse Sear Method For Grilled Chicken Breast

The reverse sear method is when you cook meat over indirect heat and then finish the cooking over direct heat .

So the general plan here is to put the rubbed chicken breast on the indirect side of the grill and let them sit there without flipping until they reach about 150 degrees F internal temperature.

It will take about 30 minutes to get the chicken cooked to about 150. You’ll want a dome temperature of about 400-450 degrees F.

To get this you’ll need about ½ of a charcoal chimney lit and ashed over. Also, you need to add a handful of wood chips or a product such as Kingsford’s new smoke briquettes.

This really adds some nice flavor. Don’t worry about soaking any wood or being all fancy.

Just throw in some wood chips or smoke briquettes on top of the coals and you’ll get about 10-15 minutes of moderate smoke.

Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Indoor Smokeless Electric Grill

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.;

How Long To Grill Chicken Breast Everything You Need To Know

How To Grill Boneless Chicken Breasts

Chicken is that type of meat that is dry when overcooked but can make you very sick if undercooked, which is why its important to get it right. Knowing just how long to grill a chicken breast can take practice as its almost an art. Our team of chefs is here to help you perfect your chicken breast grilling skills.

Also Check: How To Convert Gas Grill To Natural Gas

How To Grill Chicken On Stove

  • Pin11478

Learn how to make the best tender, juicy and delicious chicken breasts right on your stove-top in a grill pan or cast iron pan.;I dont know where Id be without grilled chicken. I grill chicken all year for meal-prep and for so many recipes too. Grilled, skinless chicken breasts make a great addition to a healthy diet because they are low in calories and high protein. Eating chicken breast, without breading or skin, helps you eat fewer calories and even burn extra calories for effective weight loss.;I always make extra and save it for salads, in burritos, pasta or meal prepping!

Because we dont always have access to the outdoor grill year round, I make the chicken on the stove-top most of the time.;To make tender juicy grilled chicken you will need a heavy duty grill pan. A cast iron pan with ridges works best but if your cast iron pan doesnt have ridges, you can still grill the chicken on it too.

For the seasoning, I usually switch it up each time I make the chicken and dont really measure but for the sake of this recipe Ive included my favorite herb and seasoning mix. You can also used a packet of taco seasoning or your favorite herbs and spices and make it your own.

Did You Make This Recipe

This post originally appeared in August 2016 and was revised and republished in April 2021.
  • Reply
  • About Christine

    Hi! Im Christine. My passion is creating recipes that take less time in the kitchen, so that we can all spend more time enjoying life! Im a busy single mom of two, so I totally get how tough it can be. Thats why Ive been figuring things out for my own family, and thats why I want to share this knowledge with others. I now help over 2 million people a month get delicious meals onto their tables. Come along with me and see how much easier it can be!

    5 secrets to the Juiciest grilled meats!

    Our Podcast

    Read Also: Why Are Evo Grills So Expensive

    Mediterranean Style Grilled Chicken Salad

    Ingredients:

    • 2 grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
    • 4 romaine hearts, cleaned and chopped
    • 1 small cucumber, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
    • 1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
    • 1 avocado, skin and pit removed, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
    • 1/2 cup halved pitted kalamata olives
    • 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
    • Enough vinaigrette to dress the salad lightly

    Total time: 15 min

    Is Grill Chicken Healthy

    Moms Guide to Perfect Grilled Chicken Breasts | How to Grill Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts

    Grilled chicken is great. Its simple, its easy, its nutritious and its versatile. Still, not all of the fat in chicken skin is good fat, and it does add calories, so if youre trying to go for a super-lean meal, skinless chicken is better. Grill some vegetables alongside your chicken for a very healthy meal.

    Also Check: How To Keep Grill Grates Clean

    How Long To Grill Boneless Chicken Breast

    How do you grill chicken on a gas grill? Then, remove the chicken from the fridge and brush the meat with a bit of olive oil, seasoning as you’d like. How do you cook chicken breast on a gas grill? Jul 06, 2019 · in the meantime, preheat your gas grill for at least 10 to 15 minutes on high heat. Flip and grill until cooked through, or a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of meat registers 160 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes more.

    How To Thin Thick Chicken Breasts

    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.

    Recommended Reading: How To Keep Rats Away From Grill

    How Long To Cook Grilled Potatoes

    GRILL

    To make grilled potatoes in foil, place packets directly on the grill rack and cook approximately 30 minutes turning occasionally until tender.

    OVEN

    No grill or is your grill full of BBQ Chicken? These foil potato packets can be baked in the oven at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through.

    FIRE

    Roughing it and looking to make campfire-style foil packet potatoes? Place them directly onto some of the coals and cook about 20-30 minutes or so turning occasionally.

    You want them to cook but ensure they dont burn . Carefully use tongs to remove packets from the coals.

    Quick Tips For Grilling Chicken Breasts:

    Grilled Chicken Breast: Tips and Tricks You Need to Know ...

    How long do I grill chicken breast?

    Grill chicken breasts for around 9 to 10 minutes total, flipping halfway through.

    How long do you grill chicken on each side?

    Grill chicken breasts around 5 minutes on each side.

    What’s the perfect grilled chicken temp?

    Internal temperature of chicken breasts should be 165°F.

    How hot should your grill be for chicken?

    Heat your grill to between 425 and 450°F for chicken breasts.

    Also Check: Do Weber Grills Come Assembled

    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:

    Homemade Vinaigrette For Marinating Chicken And Dressing A Salad

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tsps Dijon mustard
    • 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
    • 1/2 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 1/2 1 tsp dried basil
    • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

    Total time: 10 minPrep time: 10 min Serves: 2 people

    Directions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and herbs to combine.

    2. Slowly pour the EVOO in while still whisking until the mixture is slightly emulsified. Alternatively, you can use a small food processor and pour the EVOO in through the small hole in the top while the blade is rotating.

    You May Like: How Do You Clean Gas Grill Grates

    How To Grill Chicken:

    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.

    How To Make Juicy Flavorful Grilled Chicken Breast

    GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST | how to grill juicy boneless chicken

    There are burgers and hot dogs, but no dish speaks to true grilling prowess quite like perfectly grilled chicken breast. Marked by the grill and turned a most gorgeous caramel-colored hue, the very best grilled chicken breast promises to be juicy and tender and as versatile for quick summer meals as a good tomato. Grilled chicken has become so ubiquitous, though, that we often forget what a real stunner it can be among dry and less flavorful grilled fare.

    The key steps to really juicy grilled chicken are kitchen essentials lessons that even the most seasoned griller should revisit each year. Pound the chicken thin for more even cooking, brine or marinade for flavor and color, and grill over direct heat for grill marks, but finish over low heat to keep them juicy.

    Ready for the best grilled chicken of the summer? Lets go.

    Read Also: How Do You Make Bbq Chicken On The Grill

    Brine Your Boneless Chicken Breasts For Additional Moisture

    Brining your boneless chicken breasts will prevent them from drying out too much. When you salt the meat, it will change the protein and retain the moisture during grilling. This ensures that your boneless chicken breasts will remain juicy even if they are slightly overdone. You need to brine your chicken for about 30 minutes. Turn your charcoal grill up to heat it while the chicken is brining.

    Should You Use Wet Brine or Dry Brine?

    • Wet Brine Dissolve salt in water, add the boneless chicken breasts to them, and soak them. Wet brine will plump the chicken breasts and make the meat juicier. The disadvantage is that your meat will be less flavorful, and increased moisture slows down browning.
    • Dry Brine Sprinkle salt over the boneless chicken breasts and allow the meat to rest for at least an hour. This salt will enter the meat. If you are trying the dry brine, do not cover it and place it on a wire rack on top of the rimmed baking sheet for maximum air circulation around the entire meat.

    Dry brine allows the chicken to maintain its natural moisture, but the meat will not be very juicy or plump but still moist enough. It will also have a deep chicken flavor and will easily brown due to the surface drying during the dry brining.

    The method you choose to brine your boneless chicken breasts depends on your preference. Most people prefer dry brining over wet brining, but you can try both to see which one you like better.

    Can You Eat Zucchini Salad Raw

    Of course! The spiralized zucchini in this recipe is what gives it its fun bouncy feel. Raw garden fresh zucchini is crisp and delicious, youll love the combo of feta cheese, dill, and lemon with it.

    Zucchini is nice and sturdy so I actually eat it raw often as a dipper for my favorite sauces and dips .; I love serving raw zucchini sticks with spicy dill dip for a quick and healthy snack.

    Read Also: How To Clean Old Grill Grates

    Can I Substitute Table Salt In The Brine

    We don’t recommend using table salt in this brine. There’s a big difference between the size of kosher salt flakes and table salt grains. Using table salt will add much more salt to this brine recipe, and the chicken will come out too salty.

    If table salt is all you have, use 1 1/2 tablespoons of table salt in this recipe. You can also use 1 1/2 tablespoons of fine sea salt.

    How To Grill Perfect Chicken Breasts On The Barbecue

    How to BBQ Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast on a Gas Grill ...

    When barbecuing chicken breasts, we tend to use a high temperature and direct heat, which makes them dry and tough. To get the most out of this cut of meat on the grill, we suggest a fail-safe four-step cooking method thats easy to apply to all your chicken breast recipesand no more sticking to the grill! Get ready for a summer of chicken perfection.

    Also Check: Can I Sell My Gold Grill

    Grill Your Boneless Chicken Breasts Correctly

    Before you add your boneless chicken breasts to the charcoal grill, clean and oil it. Since the skinless chicken breasts have no fat on them, there is nothing to protect them from the heat. This means that they will easily stick to the charcoal grill, which cleaning and oiling the grill beforehand can prevent.

    Next, you need to set the temperature of the charcoal grill.;If the charcoal grill gets too hot 500 degrees Fahrenheit and above it can cause the boneless chicken breasts to dry out quickly. You also do not want to keep the temperature of the charcoal grill too low either.

    A low temperature means no browning, just a pale boneless chicken breast. Keep the fire at medium high 375 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to create a golden crust without drying out the chicken breasts.

    Lastly, cook the chicken breasts for 2 to 3 minutes per side over direct and medium to high heat to brown and cook the meat. Use a two-zone fire by piling the coals on one side of the grate. When the chicken is almost cooked, put it on the cooler side of the charcoal grill and cover it to prevent the chicken breasts from burning.

    Use an instant-read thermometer when you cook your chicken breasts to ensure it is well done. You can measure the temperature of the chicken breasts by creating a small slit in them. Look through the slit to see if the center of the chicken is fully cooked or not.

    Popular Articles

    More Recipes Like This