5 Tips for Perfect Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken is a rite of passage for summer cooking; it works for both a big barbecue blowout and a simple weeknight dinner. While you can just slap some pieces onto the grill, there are a few tips to keep in mind that will yield perfectly grilled chicken every time!
1. Pick the correct cut of chicken.
The first thing to think about when grilling chicken is which cut to pick. Do you have a huge time to kick back and grill, or is this a fast weeknight dinner that has to happen in 30 minutes? Remind that the larger the cut of chicken (whole birds, bone-in chicken breasts, whole legs), the longer it will take to cook. Stick with boneless or even consider cutting boneless chicken into small pieces and threading it onto little piece if the cooking needs to happen quickly.
2. Pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts first.
The uneven shape of boneless, skinless chicken breasts creates them tricky to grill, but by just spending a few minutes pounding the thicker end thinner, you'll both reduce cooking time and end up with more evenly cooked meat.
3. Butterfly the full chickens.
Grilling whole chickens is certainly impressive and great if you want to appease both white- and dark-meat eaters, but whole chickens do take a long time to cook, and it takes some practice to carve one up nicely. Butterfly a whole chicken instead (also known as spatchcocking), which means cutting out the backbone so the chicken now lies flat. Not only does this speed up grilling time, but the chicken also cooks more evenly and is easier to carve.
4. Connect flavor before you grill.
The best part of grilling is the ritual of throwing it onto the grill and relaxing with a drink while it cooks. Take a little extra time to inject flavor into the chicken before grilling so you can skip basting and don't have to do much work as it grills, and you know the end flavor will be amazing. Try a brine, rub, or marinade — it doesn't have to be fancy at all!
5. Prep your grill correctly.
Like any other kitchen appliance, a grill needs to be maintained, cleaned, and prepped to work properly and efficiently. If you want great grilled chicken, make sure you have enough fuel, and rub a little oil onto the (clean and preheated) grates right before cooking so the chicken doesn't stick.
1. Pick the correct cut of chicken.
The first thing to think about when grilling chicken is which cut to pick. Do you have a huge time to kick back and grill, or is this a fast weeknight dinner that has to happen in 30 minutes? Remind that the larger the cut of chicken (whole birds, bone-in chicken breasts, whole legs), the longer it will take to cook. Stick with boneless or even consider cutting boneless chicken into small pieces and threading it onto little piece if the cooking needs to happen quickly.
2. Pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts first.
The uneven shape of boneless, skinless chicken breasts creates them tricky to grill, but by just spending a few minutes pounding the thicker end thinner, you'll both reduce cooking time and end up with more evenly cooked meat.
3. Butterfly the full chickens.
Grilling whole chickens is certainly impressive and great if you want to appease both white- and dark-meat eaters, but whole chickens do take a long time to cook, and it takes some practice to carve one up nicely. Butterfly a whole chicken instead (also known as spatchcocking), which means cutting out the backbone so the chicken now lies flat. Not only does this speed up grilling time, but the chicken also cooks more evenly and is easier to carve.
4. Connect flavor before you grill.
The best part of grilling is the ritual of throwing it onto the grill and relaxing with a drink while it cooks. Take a little extra time to inject flavor into the chicken before grilling so you can skip basting and don't have to do much work as it grills, and you know the end flavor will be amazing. Try a brine, rub, or marinade — it doesn't have to be fancy at all!
5. Prep your grill correctly.
Like any other kitchen appliance, a grill needs to be maintained, cleaned, and prepped to work properly and efficiently. If you want great grilled chicken, make sure you have enough fuel, and rub a little oil onto the (clean and preheated) grates right before cooking so the chicken doesn't stick.