Top Tips for Grilling Chicken Like a Pro
There’s nothing like taking that first bite of a perfect, juicy cut of grilled chicken. While you may think you need an expert chef to experience this culinary delight, that’s not the case. You can get those same tasty results at home — you just need the right techniques. If you’re ready to gain next-level grilling skills, stay tuned.
Our expert tips for grilling chicken will delight your taste buds. From proper marinades to achieving juicy, flavorful chicken, we have you covered. Here are our top tips for grilling chicken like a true professional.
Prep Your Chicken
When you’re grilling chicken, marinade helps the delicious flavor soak into the meat. Most chicken marinades contain a 2:1 ratio of oil to acid. Don’t forget the seasonings, either.
Massage the marinade into the chicken breasts before placing everything in the fridge. To avoid getting the marinade on your hands, use a plastic bag or disposable gloves. Also, always wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw chicken, even if you wear gloves.
You can marinate chicken for as little as two hours, but we recommend doing so for even longer. That way, your chicken cuts can soak up all of the flavors in the marinade. As long as you stay within the 48-hour range, you’re good to go.
Here are the components of a great marinade:
1. Fat (Oils)
Olive oil is a popular choice for marinating chicken before grilling. It gives the meat a rich flavor and contains healthy fats. You can also use sesame oil or avocado oil. The important part is that you add plenty of fat to the mixture.
2. Acid
Next, choose an acidic liquid to add to the mix. Acids imbue your grilled chicken with sharp and tangy flavors. Lemon juice and white wine are common picks. If you don’t have these lying around, vinegar is also a solid choice.
3. Spices
Season your marinade however you’d like. You can buy pre-mixed chicken seasonings or come up with your own recipe. Spices like paprika, garlic, salt, black pepper, and oregano will infuse rich flavors into any cut of chicken.
Also, remember that when some sections of a chicken breast are thicker than others. It can cause the breast to not cook evenly. To level the piece of meat you’re working with, use a meat mallet (also known as a meat tenderizer). Pound the chicken breast until every area is roughly equal in thickness.
When grilling chicken with irregular cuts, meat thermometers may read 165 in one area but lower in another. Even-shaped chicken reduces your risk of pulling a breast off the grill before it’s ready and can reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Prep the Grill
Before grilling chicken or any other type of meat, you must clean your grill. Use a non-wire grill brush to do so, as wire brushes shed and can cause throat injuries. Your grilled chicken deserves a clean slate.
Once your grill surface is clean, it’s time to prepare it for the meat. When grilling chicken, there’s a high chance it will get stuck to the grill grates. Chicken cuts don’t usually have enough fat to prevent this problem. You can avoid this by oiling the grill or using a non-stick spray beforehand.
Using oil on the grill can prevent your chicken from drying out too much. As a result, you may notice a juicier, more enjoyable flavor and texture. Oiling the grill also prevents you from flipping the chicken too often, which reduces gorgeous grill marks.
Safety Tip: Follow the 165 Rule
All cooked chicken should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit before you serve it — no exceptions. Pro chefs use meat thermometers to check the temperature, and you should, too.
Careful balance is required when it comes to the temperature of grilled chicken. Eating undercooked chicken is a serious health risk that can cause foodborne illnesses like salmonella and Campylobacter. However, going too far past 165 degrees gets tricky as well. You risk your chicken being dry and unappetizing.
Keeping an eye on temperature is an important food safety step and a way to achieve delicious grilled chicken. Fortunately, meat thermometers are easy to use and are widely available online and in stores.
Let it Rest
You might mistakenly think that once your chicken is done cooking, it’s ready to serve. However, the post-grill period is the perfect time to really seal in the chicken’s delicious juices.
If you use a good marinade, the work is mostly done when you take the chicken off the grill. All you have to do is wrap each piece in aluminum foil and let the chicken soak up excess moisture. Try to keep your chicken wrapped for at least five minutes.
Try Chad’s BBQ: Delicious Chicken and Plenty More
At Chad’s BBQ, we can show you what delicious grilled meat is all about. We have a wide range of meats to choose from, including sausages, pork, and chicken. But what makes ours different? We smoke it!
Whether you need an event catered or want to enjoy a nice family dinner, make sure to stop by. Come visit our family and dog-friendly hangout spot in Edgewater, MD!
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