One of the best ways to successfully grill chicken is to build a two-level fire. For a charcoal fire, that means one side of the grill pan should have a layer of coals about 4-5 deep, and the other side should have coals only one deep. You may want to leave an area with no coals at all so the chicken can cook with indirect heat; put a drip pan in that space to catch drippings. Think about pouring some chicken broth or beer in the drip pan so the drippings themselves don't start burning. For a gas grill, turn on all the burners and heat up the grill; then turn off one burner and use that space for indirect grilling. Now you'll be able to control how fast the chicken cooks by moving it from a hot fire to a cooler fire.
Think about brining your chicken before you cook it. A brine is simply a solution of salt, sugar, and water, with some herbs, spices, or other seasonings thrown in. This solution forces water and seasonings into the chicken to help keep it moist and tender on the grill. Be sure that the chicken hasn't been injected with seasonings or flavorings before you brine it yourself. Check the ingredient label to make sure. If the chicken has been injected with a solution of salt and seasonings, it will state that on the label.
Always use an instant read thermometer when grilling chicken. I've had quite a few of these gadgets in my time, and the best one I've found is the Thermapen. This thermometer may seem expensive, but since you'll always have perfect results when you use it, it will end up saving you quite a bit of money. An accurate and fast thermometer is necessary so you can catch chicken at the perfect point of doneness.
Make sure your grill rack is very clean before you start grilling. Let the grill heat up with the cover closed, then use a grill brush or a piece of crumpled tinfoil held with tongs to scrape the grill rack clean. Then lightly oil a paper towel and rub it over the grill.
Before you start grilling, the chicken will need a bit of preparation. Any type of cut of chicken needs to be trimmed of excess fat and well-seasoned before it touches the grill rack. And different cuts of chicken need some special handling.
- Whole chickens should be patted dry and well seasoned, both under the skin, on top of the skin, and in the cavity before grilling. You can grill a chicken whole, but you may want to use a grill rack to hold the chicken upright. This lets the grill's heat circulate all the way around the chicken so it cooks evenly. If your grill has a rotisserie, follow the manufacturer's instructions to get evenly cooked, juicy and delicious chicken. Cook whole chicken to a temperature in the thigh of 170 degrees F.
- Spatchcocking chicken may sound like something fancy or difficult, but all it means is that you cut out the chicken's backbone and flatten it. Spatchcocked chicken cooks evenly on the grill and is easy to season before cooking and maneuver on the grill.
- Chicken breasts can be cooked boneless or bone-in. Start by searing chicken over the hot part of the grill, then when the chicken releases from the grate, move it to the cooler area or over the drip pan for indirect cooking. Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts take about twice the time to cook as boneless, skinless breasts. Cook chicken breasts to a temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Chicken thighs and drumsticks are very easy to cook on the grill. This meat is naturally more tender since it contains more fat. These cuts take longer to cook on the grill. When grilling bone-in, skin-on thighs and drumsticks, be sure to season the meat under the skin. It's fun to add fresh herbs or other ingredients like cheese or pesto to the flesh; just smooth the skin back over this filling and hold the skin with a toothpick to keep the good stuff inside. Cook chicken thighs to a temperature of 170 degrees F.
- Chicken wings are fun to grill. Because there is little meat on this cut, the grilling time is shorter, but because the meat is dark meat, it must be thoroughly cooked. Make sure you build a two-level fire when grilling chicken wings so you have different temperature zones. Cook chicken wings to a temperature of 170 degrees F.
- A great way to cook chicken on the grill so it stays tender and juicy is to make a foil packet containing the chicken, seasonings, and other ingredients like fruits and vegetables. Read Presentation Packets for more information.
To control flare-ups, move the chicken around on the grill. Don't spray the fire with water; that will diminish the temperature too much. For large flare-ups, take the chicken off the grill and let the fire burn out. This is when an area free of coals, with a drip pan, can come in handy; just move the chicken to that area if flames start shooting up from the coals.
Finally, always let the chicken rest when it comes off the grill. After being on that high heat, the chicken's juices need some time to redistribute evenly throughout the meat. This resting time also helps bring the chicken to the final cooking temperature.
Now go to the next page to get the recipes!
