Grilled chicken is a sure crowd pleaser, but getting those beautiful grill marks and that juicy flavor when you bite into it takes some practice. In this article we offer some of our best tips on how to grill chicken.
Step 1 – Selection of Chicken
There are so many options when it comes to chicken. There are certain rules we like to follow when grilling different cuts of chicken.
Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Breasts are lean, not fatty. They usually differ widely in thickness. This leads the thinnest portion of the breast to cook much faster than the thickest causing it to taste dry or even burn.
- We recommend pounding the chicken so that it is flattened to a consistent height to help it cook evenly. This also reduces the cooking time.
- If your chicken breasts are very thick, another solution is to halve them lengthwise with a knife.
Whole Chicken
- The USDA defines five poultry classes. Listed here are the three most common to chicken:
- Rock Cornish game hen or Cornish game hen – an immature chicken younger than five weeks old weighing two pounds or less.
- Broiler or fryer – a chicken younger than 10 weeks old, that is tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured skin and flexible breastbone cartilage.
- Roaster or roasting chicken – a young chicken between 8-weeks and 12-weeks old weighing five pounds or more, that is tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured skin and breastbone cartilage that is somewhat less flexible than that of a broiler or fryer.
- The bigger the bird, the longer the cooking time. That is why you might consider smoking a roaster. Broilers or fryers tend to be the most popular.
- One of the challenges with grilling whole chickens is getting them to cook evenly. One way to solve this is to butterfly your chicken to allow heat to reach all parts of the bird. If you do not butterfly it, tuck in your wing tips and tie the ends of the legs together.
Bone-in Pieces
- Bone-in cuts have better taste and the bones help retain moisture compared to boneless cuts.
Tenders
- Grilled tenders are lean, and they do not take long to grill. They are great for adding on top of a pasta or salad.
- Because these cuts are so thin you want to be careful not to overcook or burn them.
Chicken Wings
- Whole wings must be broken down to separate the tip, wingette, and drumette, but they will usually result in bigger wings than buying the drumettes and wingettes individually.
- Wings like tenders do not require a lot of time on the grill, but you need to rotate them about every 5 minutes over medium heat.
- When to toss wings in the sauce is a popular question. Most people prefer to toss their wings after they grill them. Others believe that tossing wings at the very end of the cooking process and then grilling them for a couple of minutes helps the sauce stick to the wing.
Step 2: Buy Fresh (not Frozen), Local, and Organic to Grill Chicken
Regardless of cut, we find the best tasting chicken is fresh, locally sourced and organic. Frozen chicken is more likely to turn out dry due to the effect on its water content.
Avoid chicken with added water or brine during industrial processing as this impacts its texture and taste.
You may end up paying a little extra for local and organic but think of it as supporting your local meat shop and farms and having peace of mind knowing where and how your meat is raised.
Step 3 – Skin Off or On?
One way to keep your chicken from becoming too dry is to leave the skin on it. If you choose a cut that is skinless, we recommend treating it with a brine prior to grilling.
Step 4 – Brine or Marinade: What is the difference and should I use both?
Brining and marinating are often confused so let us spend some time here. Brining is simply soaking the meat in a saline mixture of kosher salt and water. Herbs and vegetables can be added and sometimes we add sugar. Brining helps control the amount of moisture in your meat keeping it juicy and tender while it cooks. It provides overcooking insurance to keep your meat from becoming too dry. Leaner cuts of meat that benefit from brining include chicken, turkey, and pork.
You can also use a dry brine (or dry rub as most grillers refer to it) made up of salt and seasonings without water. Our family likes to use dry brines. Dry rubs give meat a crispier skin. Dry rubs are widely available and are easier to prep than wet brines, but most chefs prefer a wet brine for chicken.
The length of time you need to treat your chicken with a wet brine depends on the cut. Whole chickens are typically brined for about 8 to 12 hours while smaller cuts may only need 30 minutes to a couple of hours. In addition, smaller cuts will absorb more of the brine than a whole chicken so remember to adjust your measurements if following a recipe to avoid having too much sodium.
There is a risk with wet brining that the natural taste and juices of the meat could be replaced with the brine and so make sure to brine for an appropriate length of time in a refrigerator or cooler. When your chicken is finished brining, rinse it under cold water then either pat it dry or let it air dry in the fridge to get crispy instead of soggy skin. If you use a dry brine, there is no need to rinse after brining.
While brines consist of salt and water, marinades feature a fat, an acidic component, and seasonings. The fat is usually an oil while the acid could be a vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or even alcohol. Marinades add flavor to your meat. They do not penetrate the surface of the muscle enough to tenderize the meat like a brine, but they absorb into meat just enough to give your food a particular taste. Marinades are suitable for meats that are tougher in texture with higher fat content like beef.
Hopefully now you have a better idea of the difference between a brine or marinade and when to use them. You might wonder if it is acceptable to do both when you grill chicken. There is no reason you cannot brine your chicken and then marinate it, however, if you do this, omit salt in the marinade to avoid too much sodium, air dry the chicken in the fridge before adding the marinade, and balance time appropriately between the two processes.
Be careful to keep your chicken in the fridge while it brines or marinades and use a non-reactive container like a glass dish or bowl. Ensure it is submerged in the brine. When you take it out do not let it sit at room temperature for too long to avoid bacteria growth. Discard your brines and marinades after use.
Step 5 – Rest Your Chicken Before Grilling
Never put cold chicken on a hot grill or grill topper. Your chicken will stick and lose moisture. Before you start grilling, sit your chicken out to rest for about 15 minutes and let it reach room temperature.
Oil keeps your food from sticking to the pan.
Step 6 – Use a High Heat Cooking Oil
Every oil has a smoke point which is the temperature that will cause it to begin smoking in your pan or topper. Familiarize yourself with oil smoke points to avoid disappointment when grilling.
We use oils that withstand high heat grilling temperatures on our food and grill toppers. Oil also keeps your food from sticking to your topper. Following is a guide with smoke points for popular cooking oils.
| Type of Oil | Smoke Point | Flavor |
| Refined Avocado Oil | 520oF/270oC | Neutral |
| Virgin/Light/Pure Olive Oil | 470oF/232oC | Neutral |
| Refined Coconut Oil | 450oF/232oC | Neutral |
| Corn Oil | 450oF/232oC | Mild |
| Sunflower Oil | 450oF/232oC | Bland |
| Safflower Oil | 450oF/232oC | Light |
| Refined Peanut Oil | 450oF/232oC | Mild and Light |
| Grapeseed Oil | 420oF/216oC | Neutral and Light |
| Refined Sesame Oil | 410oF/210oC | Mild |
| Canola Oil | 400oF/204oC | Mild, Light |
| Vegetable Oil | 400oF/204oC | Neutral |
| Extra-Virgin Olive Oil | 350oF/177oC | Bitter, Spicy |
Step 7 – Choose Your Grill Topper and Lightly Brush it with Oil
Whole Chicken
- Oscarware Porcelain XL Rib and Roast Rack (Holds up to a 20 lb. turkey)
Bone-in Chicken Pieces, Chicken Breasts, and Wings
- Oscarware Porcelain 11” x 7” Grill Topper for smaller tabletop grills
- Oscarware Disposable 16” x 12” Grill Topper for most grill sizes
- Oscarware Porcelain 16” x 12” Grill Topper for most grill sizes
- Oscarware Disposable 13” Round Grill Topper for round grills
- Oscarware Porcelain 13” Round Grill Topper for round grills
- Oscarware Porcelain 16” Round Grill Topper for large round grills
Great for Finishing Wings with Sauce on the Grill
- Oscarware Disposable Mini Wok Topper for smaller tabletop grills
- Oscarware Porcelain Mini Wok Topper for smaller tabletop grills
- Oscarware Porcelain 12” Wok Topper for most grill sizes
Step 8 – Indirect Heat vs. Direct Heat
With chicken, its best to start grilling over indirect heat and finish the last few minutes over direct heat to get crispy skin. What does this mean? Think of it as directly or indirectly cooking your food over your heat source which would be your grill flames.
Direct heat is cooking over the hot zone while indirect heat is cooking over the cool zone. If you want to sear or brown your meat, you want to use direct heat. If you want to roast and slow cook, use indirect heat. Grilling with zones also gives you a safe place to move your food if you notice you are having flare ups.
How do you do set up these zones on your grill? It depends on the grill. If you are using a charcoal grill, you can move the charcoal to one side of the grill and place an empty drip pan next to the charcoal on the other side under your grate and grill over the drip pan.
On a gas grill it depends whether your grill has 2 or 3-4 burners. You can turn off the burners on one end (2-burner) or in the middle (3-4 burner) and cook over the unlit burners. This indirect to direct heat approach will keep your bird from overcooking and becoming dry.
Step 9 – Preheat the Grill
Preheating the grill makes for a better cooking experience. Do not skip this step. Ensuring that your grill is hot enough before you start grilling will allow your food to cook faster at the right temperature and keep it from burning and sticking to your grill topper.
Start or light your grill and let it reach 500oF/260oC. This takes about 15 minutes on a gas grill and up to 30 minutes on a charcoal grill. Maximize the airflow by opening grill vents on charcoal grills.
Once it reaches 500oF/260oC, adjust your grill to the desired cooking temperature by turning the knobs for the burners or modifying the vents.
Step 10 – Grill Temperature, Cooking Time, and When to Flip
Chicken should be grilled at medium to medium high heat (375-450oF/190-232oC) depending on the cut. We have provided suggested cooking times and grilling temperatures in the chart below.
If you choose to cook over direct heat (which we do not recommend), you will need to flip your chicken frequently. With indirect heat, you do not have to worry about flipping it as often. If you are grilling a cut with skin, start with the skin side down.
When you start to see fat, it is ready to flip. If it sticks, it is not ready to turn yet. If you want to brown or sear your chicken, you can move it over to direct heat when it is almost done and give it a few minutes on each side.
The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 165oF/74oC for poultry to prevent salmonella. Place your grill thermometer in the thickest part of the meat but not touching the bone to measure the internal temperature.
Step 11: Add the Sauce
If you have a recipe with a sauce for your chicken, it is best to wait to apply the sauce until the last 10 minutes of grilling. This prevents the sauce from burning. We usually wait until the meat has reached its desire internal temperature and then add the sauce.
Step 12: Resting the Chicken before Cutting It
After you finish grilling your chicken, remove it from the grill and your grill topper and let it rest on a plate or cutting board at least 5-10 minutes before you cut into it. Whole chickens will need to rest for 20 minutes. This will allow it to finish cooking and retain its juices.
| Cut | Wet Brine Mixture | Suggested Brine Time | Approx. Grilling Time | Grill Temperature (F) |
| 4 Small Boneless Breasts or 2 Large Boneless Breasts | Water = 4 cups Salt = ¼ cup | 30-45 minutes | 30-40 minutes | 375oF/150-190oC |
| 3 ½-4 lb. Whole Chicken | Water=1 gallon Salt = 1/2 cup | 8-12 hours | 1 ¼ – 1 ½ hours | 375-400oF/150-204oC |
| 2-3 lbs. of Bone-in Pieces | Water= 6 cups Salt = 1/3 cup | 2 hours | 30-40 minutes for Breast & Wing 40-50 minutes Legs | 450oF/232oC |
| 1-2 lbs. of Chicken Tenders | Water = 3 cups Salt = 3 tbsp. | 30 minutes | 10-15 minutes Flip Frequently | 350-375oF/150-190oC |
| 2 lbs. of Wings | Water =4 cups Salt = 1/4 cup | 2 hours (Less if skinless) | 20-25 minutes Flip at 5-minute intervals | 350-375oF/150-190oC |
We hope you found these tips on how to Grill Chicken helpful and will share them with your family and friends. Check out our other resources and recipes. Feel free to contact us if there is a topic you would like us to write about. We would love to hear from you!
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