Grilled chicken is ubiquitous with summer but rarely sublime. Truth be told, it’s the hardest meat to grill properly! We’ve all experienced the burned piece that was simultaneously undercooked. Though trickier, it’s a worthy challenge to master charred-yet-juicy chicken, and we’re happy to share our grilling guidelines!
Our Tips
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Season First
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Sprinkle your bird with salt and pepper. You can decide on sauces or marinades later, but season first with salt — especially on the bigger cuts.
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Room Temperature Bird
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A small step with a big advantage. Let your chicken fully come to room temperature prior to putting it on the grill, as it will cook faster and more evenly than a cold one.
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Consider Grill Temperature & Cuts
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Thin cuts (such as chicken breasts) like it hot, so that you can develop a char before they dry. Thicker cuts like it low and slow over indirect heat, so they can cook through and brown evenly. A grill with both a hot spot and a cooler area is recommended.
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Be Patient
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Those delicious char marks that you desire comes from contact with the grill. Don’t flip too often or too early! When the bird is ready to flip, it will happen easily, and you won’t leave all that flavorful crust behind on the grate.
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Rest the Chicken
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More patience! Let the bird rest a solid 10-15 minutes off the grill. One of our customers shared a stellar tip: they rest their grilled whole chickens over a bed of beans, and the beans soak in all the delicious chicken juices.
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Additional Seasoning
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The options for seasoning are truly limitless, and we love them all! Keep in mind that sweet marinades become more complex, while sour acid marinades soften over heat.
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