How To Make Grilled Chicken

Lemon Chicken With Fruity Olive Couscous

How to Make Simple Grilled Chicken | The Stay At Home Chef

A low-fat dish of grilled citrus chicken with fresh salad that can be whipped up for a quick supper

  • 28 mins
  • A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.77 ratings

    This breezy dish is perfect for the grill or barbecue – and it’s low-calorie too

  • 40 mins
  • A star rating of 3.8 out of 5.18 ratings

    A great low-fat supper with a good source of vitamin C, counts as 1 of 5-a-day

  • 25 mins
  • How Long To Grill Chicken Wings

    Like thighs and breasts, the USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Using an instant-read thermometer is the best way to know when your chicken wings are done, but you can use this estimated cooking time as a guide:

    • Whole chicken wings: 25 minutes total, flipping occasionally

    Tip #: Pound The Breasts Before Grilling

    Serious Eats

    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.

    Serious Eats

    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.

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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.

    How Can You Tell When Grilled Chicken Breast Is Done Without A Thermometer

    How to make BBQ Chicken

    The safest, and only foolproof, way to check if chicken is done cooking is with a meat thermometer.

    If you dont have a meat thermometer, you can test doneness by cutting into the thickest part of the chicken. If the meat is completely white and the juices run clear, the chicken should be done cooking. However, this can cause your chicken to dry out and doesnt prevent overcooking the chicken.

    Now that you know how to grill chicken breasts, check out our best grilled chicken recipes.

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    Recommended Tools For This Recipe

    • Sharp knife. This is the knife that I use all the time, a sharp knife is so important and if you want to invest in a new knife then a high-quality chef knife is what I recommend. This one is also currently on sale and well worth the money.
    • Cast IronGrill pan. This is the Staub grill pan that you can see in my pictures. I also love this Lodge grill pan which is cheaper but great quality!
    • Kitchen tongs.
    • Cutting board. To chop up the chicken, and assemble the wrap.

    So get your grill pan out, quickly grill up some seasoned chicken breasts, assemble the grilled chicken wraps and your whole family will love you for it!

    The Best Seasoning For Grilled Chicken

    Creating different spice blends is something I truly enjoy experimenting within the kitchen. For this recipe, I designed a Latin-inspired seasoning base which features:

    • Kosher salt
    • Garlic powder
    • Onion powder

    The seasoning is a balance of savory, earthy, spicy, and pungent flavors. Since the spices are dried, the characters are more concentrated with each bite. You can use as little or as much of the mix as you like.

    Feel free to add in other ingredients like brown sugar for a hint of sweetness, or chili powder for extra heat. This recipe is the ultimate lazy cooks mealtime solution!

    Read Also: Traeger Tri Tip Steaks

    S To Prepare Grilled Chicken

    Make a 4 cm slit at the end of one of the chicken legs and pass the other chicken leg through the slit. When the chicken legs are fixed, wrap two pieces of foil around the ends of the chicken legs so that they do not burn under direct heat.

    The ends of chicken legs are free of meat and fat and burn very quickly due to heat. After performing all the above steps, tie the chicken with a thick piece of yarn and fix it completely. Pour some lemon juice over the whole surface of the chicken again. Place the chicken on the oven skewer and place in a special place.

    Turn on the grill flame and set the skewer to rotating. Every 15 minutes, cover the surface of the chicken with a mixture of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of brewed saffron with a kitchen brush. So that it does not dry out and becomes completely flavored and crunchy. It takes about 3 hours to fully cook the chicken with this method. This time can be more or less depending on the type of chicken.

    You can make sure you cook it by dipping a fork or knife into the chicken. When the chicken is well cooked, gently remove the chicken from the skewer. Separate the yarn around it and the foils and serve in a suitable dish. It is better to serve the grilled chicken immediately after taking it out of the oven so that it does not become leathery and stretchy.

    For this purpose, prepare the serving dish and its leftovers before removing the chicken from the oven.

    Our Favorite Chicken Marinade

    How to Make Perfect Grilled Chicken

    As I mentioned above, you can use whatever marinade you love. Here is our favorite marinade when grilling chicken. Its light, flavorful and delicious.

    Its based on this marinade recipe, but we add honey. We add the honey because we love how it caramelizes on the grill grates. You can marinate the chicken for as little as 20 minutes! Its that flavorful. Our easy chicken marinade has a tangy combination of lemon, garlic, red pepper flakes and mustard. This just might be one of the best marinades, ever.

    We love this flavor combination so much that weve used it to make baked chicken breasts and our incredible lemon chicken thighs.

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    How Long To Cook Chicken Breast On The Grill

    Place the chicken on the direct heat side and close the lid. Cook each side for about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness and type of chicken. Finish on the indirect heat side until fully cooked . Rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow for carryover cooking.

    These grilled chicken breasts are a satisfying protein option, especially if youre following Whole30 or Paleo diets. If you do have a few extra minutes and want to absorb flavor deeper into the chicken, try this easy marinade, I know youll love it!

    The Best Way To Grill Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

    The ingredients and directions youll find in this recipe will give you the best, juiciest chicken breast on the grill.

    You can use this method to grill chicken breast on a gas grill or a charcoal grill.

    If you do not have a grill, you can use a grill pan like this one to cook the grilled chicken breast on the stove instead.

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    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.

    Storing Packing Lunch And Making Ahead Tips

    How to Grill Chicken on Stove

    If youre packing these chicken ranch wraps to go, wrap them individually in foil tightly. I recommend that you take a small ice pack with you and place it in the bag next to the wraps to keep them nice and fresh.

    If storing in the fridge, place in a sealed container, or wrap individually in foil and store for up to 3 days.

    Read Also: Pork Loin Grill Temp

    Can I Use This On Boneless Chicken

    Yes, you can use the marinade on any type of chicken. Its so delicious and the result is tender chicken with a tangy mustard sauce.

    Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Place a cooling rack sprayed with nonstick spray on a baking sheet, then put the chicken on placing them a few inches apart.

    Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. The chicken was cooked to 170 degrees internal temperature at 30 minutes, but I wanted it crispier, the additional 10 minutes gave it that extra crispiness without drying the chicken out.

    Baking the chicken on the rack allows it to crisp up as it does on the grill.

    While the chicken was baking for the last 10 minutes I placed asparagus in a hot skillet with a teaspoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cooking them on medium heat only takes a few minutes. If your asparagus seems too firm, cover with a lid for a minute or two, and they will steam a bit, but not overcook.

    I placed red potatoes in the microwave for 5 minutes and then pressed them flat and put them in the pan I had the asparagus in and put a teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper on those as well. I turned them over in the pan and it crisped them up.

    Be sure to check out all my chicken recipes here for some new favorites.

    How To Grill Chicken Breasts That Are Sooo Juicy

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Learn the method for how to grill chicken breasts that are juicy, and never ever dried out.

    Everybody loves chicken, and all cooks love a good chicken How-To. I know this because the most popular post on this site is How To Cook Chicken Breasts From Frozen and the most popular post on my sister site, TheCookful, is How To Bake Chicken Wings That Are Sooo Crispy. With summer and grilling season coming up, I thought it would therefore be a good time to tackle that real conundrum of how to grill chicken breasts that are juicy, every time.

    The thing about chicken breasts is that they are not typically of an even thickness. This means that the thinnest part tends to dry out before the thickest part is cooked all the way through. There is only one way to fix this and it involves a tiny bit of work, but not hard work. Dont worry!

    What youre going to do is flatten the chicken out to an even thickness, then marinate them a bit for flavor, and then grill for as short a time as possible. Heres how!

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    California Grilled Chicken Salad

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

    Here’s a delicious way to enjoy grilled chicken salad this summer. This indulgent California grilled chicken salad recipe combines grilled marinated chicken breasts with lettuces, tomatoes, olives, pancetta or bacon, avocados, and blue cheese, for a tasty twist on Cobb salad.

    Get Familiar With Direct And Indirect Grilling

    Easy Grilled Chicken – How To Make Grilled Chicken At Home – Simple & Fast Recipe – Tarika

    Direct heat will get you great grill marks over a fast flame, while indirect will bring your meat to temperature. Direct heat means to cook the food directly over the heat source , while indirect cooking refers to cooking adjacent to the heat source. A combination of direct heat for prominent grill marks followed by indirect heat to cook the chicken to the correct temperature without drying it out makes for pretty, juicy chicken breasts.

    A digital probe thermometer is one of the best tools you can own for the grill. While youve already done a lot of work to ensure that those chicken breasts are cooked correctly flattening them for even cooking, brining for juiciness, and cooking over direct heat for grill marks you still want to be doubly sure the chicken is cooked through.

    Insert the probe thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken and look for a temperature of 165°F. While you can safely remove the chicken at 160°F and allow for some carryover cooking, 165°F is the safest temperature to ensure the chicken is cooked completely.

    Read more: The Right Internal Temperature for Cooked Chicken

    How to Get Really Great Grill Marks

    Make the marinade.

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    How Long Do I Grill Chicken Breast

    The grilling time depends on the temperature of your grill and the thickness of the chicken breasts. The temperature of a charcoal grill is difficult to regulate, and not all gas grills have a temperature gauge.

    Your total grilling time for this recipe comes down to how long your chicken breasts take to get to the right internal temperature. When they reach an internal temperature of 155°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast, take them off the grill. Cover in foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The breasts will continue to cook and reach the recommended 165°F internal temperature.

    The Best Chicken For Grilling

    For the juiciest, most flavorful grilled chicken, use bone-in, skin-on pieces. Place the chicken on a paper towel-lined tray and pat it dry. This removes excess moisture, which prevents the skin from getting crispy. Remember to wash your hands and all equipment after handling raw chicken.

    Next, season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and allow the chicken to come to room temperature for 15 minutes. This helps it cook evenly and gives the salt and pepper a chance to work their magic. Keep in mind that sweet sauces like glazes and barbecue sauce shouldn’t be applied until the chicken is finished cooking. They will burn before the chicken is fully cooked.

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    A Brine For Chicken Breasts And How To Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts On The Grill

    • Pounding the chicken breast to an even thickness results in more even cooking throughout.
    • Brining the chicken breast helps the meat retain moisture during cooking.
    • Drying the breast well before grilling leads to quicker browning.

    In our constant quest to deliver the best of the best via the Serious Eats grilling recipes, with fancy dishes like homemade merguez sausage and peppered duck breast, it’s easy to lose sight of the basics. And there’s one really basic basic that no grilling recipe collection should be without: grilled chicken breast.

    Despite their ubiquity, chicken breasts are arguably one of the most difficult of the standard meats to grill. It’s all too common of an occurrence to find yourself with dry, chewy, cardboard-y meat. This is all correctable, though, and chicken breasts can be fantastic on the grill it just takes a little know-how. This article will tell you everything you need to know about how to grill chicken breasts, including how long to cook them and a couple easy tips to ensure you don’t end up with tough, rubbery, dried-out grilled chicken.

    How To Make Juicy Flavorful Grilled Chicken Breast

    How To Make Your Grilled Chicken And Serve It Too

    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.

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