How to make the perfect grilled chicken

Chicken is probably one of the most versatile meat when it comes to cooking options, thus making it a popular choice of meat. The same can be said of the grilling process. Cooking grilled chicken can be made easy by following some easy steps.


A few considerations to make before grilling chicken are the following: the cut and size of the meat for grilling; what part of the chicken will be used for grilling; lastly, whether the chicken will be grilled with the skin on or off.

Regarding cut and size, a general rule is that skinless and boneless breast is ideal for grilling chicken as it will require less cooking time and allow for even cooking of the meat. However, there are considerations when grilling chicken when it comes to cut and size relative to the grilling time. About 170 grams or 6 ounces of boneless and skinless chicken breast will take between 8-10 minutes on the grill on direct medium heat. When using chicken pieces likes breasts and wings with the bones in, they take about 30-40 minutes to cook, ideally on indirect and medium heat. For chicken halves, 680 grams or about 1.5 lbs of meat cooks from an hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes on the grill. Whole grilled chickens on the other hand, will take about an hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes to cook on indirect medium heat if they weigh around 1.6 kg to 2.27 kg.

When deciding whether to have skin on or off the chicken, it must be considered that the most common challenge to grilling chicken is flare-ups. When grilling chicken with the skin on, flare-ups are common because of the burning of the chicken fats that drip on the grill. To remedy this, use thongs to avoid piecing the chicken meat and thus preventing the fat from dripping onto the grill and catching fire. On the other hand, skinless grilled chicken has a tendency to dry out. To avoid this, put marinade or oil on the chicken before grilling to keep the juices locked in the meat. It is also suggested to keep the chicken meat thin and flat so that the whole piece cooks at the same time.

When grilling chicken, make sure to preheat the grill, whether this is a charcoal or gas grill to prevent the meat from sticking on the grill. It also helps to brush the clean grill with oil before placing the meat.

During grilling, it is ideal to check that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This indicates that the grilled chicken is already cooked. Medium heat, whether direct or indirect grilling, is ideal when grilling chicken to make sure the insides of the chicken cooks relative at the same time as the outside part. Use only high heat when searing the meat. Undercooked chicken may have remnants of bacteria like salmonella that is prone to make one sick when ingested. While overcooking makes the grilled chicken dry and tough.

Particular care should also be taken with marinades. Marinades with tomato sauces and sugar burn more easily during the grilling process. Moreover, apply a brush on a fresh marinade a few minutes before the estimated time of cooking.

Following the steps and considerations mentioned above will assure juicy and tasty grilled chicken each time. As a last reminder, let the grilled chicken rest for a few minutes for chicken pieces or smaller chicken cuts and about 10-20 minutes for larger or whole chicken to ensure that the chicken remains moist and tender when served.