Delicious Grilled Chicken Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to grilling chicken? ›

Cook your chicken breast on the grill for 6-8 minutes on one side. Flip your chicken. After 6-8 minutes open your grill lid and flip your chicken breast with tongs. A great tip is to only flip your chicken breast once so that it stays nice and juicy (and creates delicious grill marks!)

Let the breasts sear on the first side until they release naturally, about 2 minutes, then flip and do the same, then flip every minute until they hit temp to keep them cooking evenly and hopefully prevent the outside from getting leathery.

Olive oil helps to brown the outside of the chicken, bringing it to a beautiful golden color, while still maintaining the meat's internal moistness. This is especially important when grilling, as chicken can quickly become dried out when cooked directly over the grill's heat.

Brine Before Grilling to Prevent Dry, Rubbery Chicken

Brining is simply submerging the chicken in a salt-water solution before grilling. This prevents the chicken from overcooking on the grill and also helps it get great grill marks, as the increased surface moisture and sugars brown quickly.

This is a personal preference and serves no purpose for food safety. If you choose to do this, however, preventing cross-contamination when soaking and removing the poultry from the water is essential.

Yes, you should always season your chicken before cooking when it's raw. You can even do this up to 24 hours before if you have the time. Why? Because leaving the seasoning on your chicken overnight in the fridge will help it start to trap moisture in the chicken, which will make it nice and juicy once cooked.

Uncovered Grilling

Even removing the lid too often from the grill results in heat escaping and the temperature dropping. This may lead to uneven cooking of the chicken. Keeping the lid closed on the grill to cook the chicken more evenly.

Barbecue sauce typically contains sugar that will brown faster than the meat. This can make it difficult to tell when the chicken is done. To ensure you don't pull the chicken off too soon, add the BBQ sauce when you're nearly done cooking the meat.

If your grill has a cover, always cook your chicken with the cover down. It will make your grill more oven-like, and your food will cook more evenly. Also, because the cover cuts off some of the oxygen, you'll have fewer flare-ups.

Is it better to grill chicken fast or slow? ›

Chicken on the bone or large, un-pounded breasts should be grilled more slowly over medium-high heat so the outside doesn't burn while the inside reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.

Grilled chicken typically provides a nice char, which gives the poultry more flavor and texture compared to baking or sauteing. It's especially nice during the warmer months because you get some fresh air — and the technique prevents the house from being overwhelmed with cooking odors.

A 15-minute sit at room temperature will make the chicken cook more evenly, helping you avoid a brown outside with a raw, undercooked inside. Solution: When you're gathering all of the ingredients for dinner, go ahead and take the chicken (in the plate or dish where it's stored) out of the fridge.

Drizzle a light layer of olive oil onto the chicken if you want the rub to stick better. Olive oil helps the dry rub adhere to the meat so it's less likely to fall off while you're cooking it. Put a coin-sized amount of olive oil on the chicken and spread it evenly across the sides of the chicken.

The ideal grill temperature range for chicken is between 350 and 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This range is narrowed down by whether you're grilling chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks.

Oil Your Food, Not the Grate – This one might be a bit controversial, but we recommend oiling your food instead of the grate. Putting oil directly on the food will keep if from sticking, but it will also add flavor and moisture. Lightly brush the oil onto your food and then place it on the grate.

Use medium-high heat and a cast-iron grate or grill topper if you have one, says Lampe. Arturo emphasizes the importance of scraping the grill with a wire brush to clean it, then brushing the grate with a very lightly oiled towel; this will help to prevent whatever protein you're cooking from sticking.