You do need to be careful with chicken. Read All About Chicken to get safety and cooking tips.
Of course, you can just grill plain or marinated chicken and top with any fresh salsa to take you all the way through the summer.
How to Grill Chicken
- Prepare and preheat your grill for two-sided grilling (one hot side, one cooler side). For a gas grill, first preheat the whole thing, then turn one or two burners down to medium. For a charcoal grill, build a two-level fire; one side should be three-four briquettes thick, the other one briquette thick.
- Make sure the grill rack is impeccably clean. Lightly oil the grill rack using a crumpled up paper towel dipped in oil. Hold the paper towel with tongs and rub it over the grill.
- Follow the recipe carefully. Bone-in chicken cooks for a longer time than boneless pieces. Cover the grill except when turning the chicken.
- First brown and sear the chicken on all sides. Boneless skinless breasts should be seared for 3-4 minutes on each side; boneless thighs for 5-6 minutes on each side. Sear bone-in pieces for 5-6 minutes on each side. A whole chicken should be browned for 6-10 minutes on each side. Never turn chicken until it can be moved easily or you'll tear the meat.
- Move boneless chicken pieces to the cooler side of the grill and cook for another 3-4 minutes on each side, turning once, until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees F for breasts, 165 degrees F for thighs and drumsticks.
- Move bone-in pieces to the cooler side of the grill and cook for another 5-7 minutes on each side, turning once, until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees F for breasts and 165 degrees F for thighs and drumsticks.
- Move whole chicken to the cooler part of the grill, cover, and cook for about 60-70 minutes total, turning once, until a thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thigh.
- If you want to brush with a sauce, do so in the last 5-10 minutes on the grill or the sauce will burn.
- Remove chicken from the grill, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes for boneless pieces, to 10 minutes to bone-in pieces and whole chicken. Then serve it proudly.
Chicken on the Grill
- Lemon Chili Chicken
Chili powder, lemon juice, and mustard combine to make a really flavorful marinade for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. - Grilled Chicken with Cherry Sauce
Use cherries at the peak of their season in this spectacular recipe perfect for entertaining. - Cranberry Grilled Chicken
Cranberry sauce and ketchup make an unusual and delicious glaze for this tender grilled chicken. - Beer Can Chicken
This classic recipe is fun to make and eat. If you don't want to use beer, you can use a cola beverage instead, and rub the chicken with some brown sugar in addition to the grill seasoning. - Glazed Drumsticks with Veggies
Pineapple preserves and chili sauce create a flavorful glaze in this five ingredient meal recipe. - Pineapple Tarragon Chicken
If you can find fresh tarragon, use it in this fabulous recipe. - Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Pesto and ricotta cheese make a delicious stuffing for smoky grilled chicken breasts. Yum. - Honey Chicken Kabobs
Here's another one-dish meal you can cook on your grill. Use your favorite summer vegetables. - Chicken Bruschetta
Using chicken instead of bread as the base for a flavorful tomato topping makes an excellent and easy main dish. - Caesar Chicken Salad
Just five ingredients combine to make a delicious and super easy main dish salad for those hot summer evenings. - Italian Chicken Salad
You can make tons of different salads using grilled chicken just by changing the ingredients and seasonings. This is one of my favorites. - Chicken with Orange Salsa
I love mandarin oranges; they're so tender and sweet. They make a wonderful salsa in this flavorful recipe. - Raspberry Glazed Chicken Breasts
The sweetness of raspberry jam combines with tangy mustard in this simple and easy recipe. - Apple Cinnamon Glazed Chicken
Apple and cinnamon is a perfect combination; try it on tender grilled chicken for the perfect summer dinner.
