Should I Pre Cook Chicken Legs Before Grilling
Bake or microwave the chicken as close to the time that you will grill it as possible. If you must precook the chicken an hour or more before you finish it on the grill, allow the chicken pieces to cook completely before you pack them away. Keep them cool or harmful bacteria might grow on the partially-cooked chicken.
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Grilled Bbq Chicken Recipe
There’s nothing better than grilled BBQ chicken breast on a warm summer evening. It’s flavorful, light, and versatile — and with a few simple tips it stays juicy and moist . Plus, this easy meal is incredibly fast! You only need about 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes to cook the meat, so the entire dinner is ready in 20 minutes. Serve the grilled bbq chicken with your favorite sides, slice it on top of a crisp green salad, or tuck it into a sandwich. Leftovers are great, too!
How To Make Sure The Chicken Breast Is Juicy
Now that your chicken breasts are trimmed, its time to ensure they are juicy.
While some people like to use marinades, I find the brine method works much better. Marinades are generally made with oil and vinegar and flavor enhancers like soy sauce and garlic.
Those do a great job at flavoring the meat, but they dont necessarily make it juicy. And if you leave your chicken in an acid-based marinade for too long, it will actually start to cook and will get rubbery.
Brining, on the other hand, works differently. When the chicken breast is introduced to a salt water bath, the proteins begin to break down and relax while the meat absorbs the liquid. Its like juicy chicken magic.
Brining Bonus: Brining liquid doesnt include oil, so its much healthier and lower in calories than marinades.
A typical brine is made up of water, kosher salt, sugar and seasonings. For this recipe, you dont need to make a big batch. I use a really simple technique.
Mix one bottle of room temperature water with a tablespoon of kosher salt, a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of my personal Chicken Rub, which is a blend of salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, garlic, onion, bell pepper, lemon zest, chiles and natural hickory smoke.
You dont need to heat the water or anything. The salt, sugar and seasonings will dissolve just fine. Stir it up. Pour it in a zip-top bag, and add the chicken breasts. Massage it gently, and place the bag in a bowl .
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How Do You Keep Chicken From Drying Out On The Grill
Prevent dry, rubbery chicken by brining it before grilling it. Brining is simply the process of immersing chicken in a salt-water solution before grilling it. It also aids in the creation of beautiful grill marks, since the increased surface moisture and sugars brown the chicken rapidly on the grill, preventing it from overcooking on the grill.
Mix Up A Marinade Dry Rub Or Brine
Unless glazing with a barbecue sauce, always season your chicken, whether its 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. Heres 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 chickens thickness. Non-acidic marinades, like herbs and spices mixed with oils, can sit for two to 10 hours.
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Air Fryer Bbq Chicken Breast
When you are using an air fryer, you can prepare air fryer bbq chicken breast inside and all year long. Fry chicken pieces inside the air fryer using paprika, garlic salt, and salt, next spread with barbeque sauce and simmer for another few minutes to make barbecue chicken that looks like it was roasted on the grill. Serve with veggies, baked potatoes, rice, or a lettuce the possibilities are limitless.
A rich, tasty dinner is made by rubbing an air fryer BBQ chicken breast with a simple spice combination and slathering it with BBQ sauce. Inside the air fryer, you can prepare this air fryer bbq chicken breast in just 20 minutes. Enjoy it with coleslaw or a sandwich, or even with your favorite dipping sauce.
Chicken is a mainstay in our kitchen, and weve started using the air fryer to prepare it recently. There are many other different ways to spice it, and the chicken browns quickly and consistently delicious and moist.
Perhaps one of our most favorite air fryer recipes is BBQ chicken. Theres no requirement to preheat the grill or ovens simply place the chicken in the air fryer. This chicken is delicious as a main course and it freezes well. We love to cook a few additional chicken breasts to be used on salads or in dinner preparation bowls during the week.
What Is Direct And Indirect Heat
Temperature control is essential when grilling chicken and learning how to use heat zones is important. Direct heat exposes the meat to the direct fire and flames, whereas the indirect heat uses the heat of the grill away from the hot coals and flame. The indirect heat cooks meat slower and more evenly, and the direct heat is great for creating sear marks.
Chicken breasts that have been pounded thin, chicken tenderloins, and wings are great for grilling over direct heat. Thicker chicken pieces such as a whole chicken or bone-in thigh will cook best over indirect heat as it needs more time to cook through.
Often, the best way to grill meat is start it on the direct side to sear the meat and get those lovely grill marks and moved to the side of the grill where the indirect heat is to continue cooking through.
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When Is Chicken Done And Safe To Eat
According to the FDA, chicken is done at 165° internal temperature in the thickest part. A higher temperature will dry, and a lower temperature is unsafe. An instant-read thermometer is required to get this right.
Lower temperatures with specific rest times at those temperatures can be used if you want to research those. As a retired doctor, I treated many cases of food poisoning and do not recommend anything lower than 165° since people cheat on timing.
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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Grilled Chicken Breast Marinades
The recipe card below includes a Mexican-inspired marinade we like to use for making grilled chicken tacos, burrito bowls, and more. Its a pretty simple blend of canned chipotle peppers in adobo, orange and lime juice, garlic, cilantro, salt, and a few dried spices.
In case you dont have a go-to chicken marinade, heres a handful of ideas for different flavor profiles:
How Long To Grill Chicken Thighs At 350f
Chicken thighs take a little longer than breasts, about 8 minutes per side to cook through. Again, here I think its best to grill thighs at 350F. The cook time will vary slightly depending on how thick your chicken thighs are. So it is best to use a meat thermometer to ensure theyve reached an internal temperature of 165 F.
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Prep Your Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Chicken breasts right out of the package are usually not very uniform in thickness, so you will need to do a bit of prep work to get them ready for the grill. I typically cut each chicken breast about 2/3 of the way down, or wherever the breasts starts to get thinner.
Then, I take the fatter part of the breast and cut it in half lengthwise kind of like butterflying it, but cutting all the way through the meat to make two separate pieces. So, each whole chicken breast should be cut into 3 pieces .
This method should give you chicken breast pieces that are uniform in size so that all of the pieces will cook pretty evenly on the charcoal grill. Also, by cutting your chicken breasts instead of marinating them whole, youre creating more surface area for the marinade, which will give your grilled chicken more flavor.
Select The Right Heat Level
Cook the boneless and skinless chicken breasts over high heat to allow them to retain their moisture. If you are grilling chicken breasts on the bone or large chicken breasts that have not been pounded will need to be grilled over medium-high heat. They will be cooked slowly, so the outside of the chicken breasts does not burn while the inside of the meat reaches its desired temperature.
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How To Brine Chicken Breasts
A brine is a salt-water bath where the salt will go into the meat dragging water with it. It will help keep the meat moist during cooking. And in dry-heat methods, like grilling, brining can make a major difference.
You can still get good results without a brine, but you will be consistently better with a brine. Also, if the breasts have been previously frozen, they do lose some moisture, and brine will help that.
I use a brine of 2 cups of water with a tablespoon of table salt. You can add other flavors like garlic or sugar to this, but this discussion is about the basics.
With this brine, you can get fairly good results in 20 minutes. You can brine for up to 1 hour. More than that leaves too much salty taste to me.
After brining, you should carefully rinse the salt off the surface. For food safety, try not to splatter and lean up with an anti-bacterial cleaner in the sink area. See
Never use seasoning with salt if you have brined.
How To Grill Chicken On Stove
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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.
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Never Again Worry About Ruining A Meal By Over Or Under Cooking
Stay safe Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your chicken on the grill. This is one of the models I recommend:
UPGRADED MODEL NOW WITH MAGNET AND CALIBRATION FEATURE.
Best Ultra Fast Digital Kitchen Probe.
Includes Internal BBQ Meat Temperature Guide.
How Do You Make Chicken Breast Not Dry
There are five important steps you should take to avoid dry chicken.
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How Long Does It Take To Grill Whole Chicken
We used an outdoor gas grill for this recipe. Once spatchcocked, our grilled chicken will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour over indirect heat.
While the grill is heated to 400 degrees F, the burner directly below the chicken will be turned off, the other burners surrounding it will be on. Thats what we mean by indirect heat here .
Why indirect heat? Grilling whole chicken over indirect heat is the secret to juicy, well-cooked chicken. The indirect heat essentially roasts the chicken to perfect doneness without dealing with flare-ups, burnt chicken skin, or underdone meat.
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Prepare And Maintain Your Grill
If you want delicious grilled chicken every time, grill maintenance is key. Like any other kitchen appliance, you need to clean charcoal grills for maximum performance.Improper cleaning can affect chickens taste and make food stick to the grates. Before you start grilling, be sure to:
- Clean the inside of the bowl
- Wipe down your cooking grates
- Clean out the ash catcher
Once you clean your grill, make sure youve got enough charcoal to do the job. You dont want to run out of fuel halfway through your barbecue!Finally, prepare your grates before you place any chicken. A lot of new grill masters forget to oil their grates before they cook. Oiling makes it easier to flip your meat when you need to, minimizing frustrations while you cook.
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How Long Does It Take To Grill A Whole Chicken
A whole 6-pound chicken will take 105 minutes to 150 minutes.
The efficiency of your BBQ, ambient temperature and starting temperature of the chicken contribute to the overall cooking time.
Whether you grill it upright in a beer can chicken recipe, or on its back, the preferred temperature range for your grill is 200-300 °F . This is a long, slow cooking process, that will take approximately 1-1/2 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the bird and how well your grill maintains temperature.
However, if you spatchcock the chicken, you can reduce the time significantly!
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If you spatchcok a chicken, because the overall thickness of any part is severely reduced, and heat can get more readily to every part of the bird, you can reduce the cooking time for a whole bird down to 30 to 40 minutes!
Just remember thermometer tells you when the chicken is done, not the clock! Use a reliable thermometer and make sure every part is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
How Hot Should You Grill Chicken
The temperature of your grill should be approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit in its whole. This ensures that your chicken will be juicy and tasty from beginning to end! Check the temperature of your chicken breast while it cooks by inserting a good internal thermometer into the thickest section of the breast.
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Fire Up The Barbecue To Grill Chicken
For barbecuing chicken breasts, you want a two-zone, medium-hot fire. Fire up a full smokestack of charcoal, or light a heap of around 100 briquets. At the point when the coals are prepared, orchestrate them in a two-zone fire. Supplant the top mesh, and permit the barbecue to warm up with all vents completely open.
Not long before putting the chicken on the mesh, plunge a collapsed paper towel in cooking oil and oil the whole mesh utilizing safe utensils from your kitchen. This will keep the skinless breasts from adhering to the mesh.
- Prep, Saline Solution And Season.
Boneless skinless breasts dry out, so marinating or tenderizing before cooking. For a fundamental saline solution, join ¼ cup salt to four cups of water, and douse the chicken breasts for 30 minutes to an hour in a gallon-size plastic zipper pack. On the off chance that you decide not to brackish water or marinate, season as you would prefer.
How Long To Grill All The Different Cuts Of Chicken
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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Here Are A Few Ways To Tell If Your Chicken Is Cooked:
The most important factor to moist grilled chicken is to not overcook. Grill chicken according to the heat and times in this recipe, and watch carefully.
- Internal temp: The internal temp should reach 165° F to be safe. Pro tip: You can cook chicken slightly less to 160° and let it rest 5-10 minutes under foil. It will continue to cook to a safe temp and be moister.
- Visual check:Cut into the center of the chicken breast with a knife. It should be white, with just the slightest hint of pink. If its pure white and looks stringy inside, its overcooked. Note: using this method while the chicken is still cooking or before resting will cause some liquids and moisture to drain out.
- Test for firmness: Remove chicken from the grill. Once cooled slightly, press in the center with finger. It should have a little bit of give but also not be squishy feeling. Note: this method takes practice is the least accurate.
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