This simple recipe for grilled chicken breast always turns out well. Stop overcooking chicken and learn the tips and techniques that professionals use for juicy chicken breasts by following these easy steps.
Grilling chicken can be a little intimidating for people. Chicken is frequently overcooked, dry, and boring because people are often afraid of undercooking it.
You can make delicious, flavorful chicken every time by using the right seasoning, techniques, and knowledge of how to grill chicken. In addition, we provide a great resource that explains how to cook chicken to the ideal internal temperature for both safety and flavor. [feast_advanced_jump_to].
Grill the same chicken cut to ensure uniform cooking for the best results. We appreciate how simple and healthy boneless, skinless chicken breasts are. For crispy skin we recommend bone-in chicken.
Buying a whole chicken and butchering it at home for the pieces is the most affordable way to buy chicken. Or you can buy the chicken in parts. In general, the price per pound is lower the less the butcher has had to cut and prepare for the case.
You can find the specifics on our preferred smoked chicken stock in our cookbook, Fire and Wine. Pro Tip: If you purchase a whole roaster and butcher it yourself, save the bones for stock.
Skin-on adds a great texture to the grilled chicken. We buy skin on. However, if you prefer boneless, skinless chicken breast, the procedure is exactly the same.
The best way to cook boneless chicken breast is to even it out by pounding the raw chicken with a meat mallet. Due to its even thickness, this will shorten the cooking time. Pat dry with a paper towel and then season. Chicken should not be rinsed because doing so increases the risk of cross-contamination.
We use a poultry seasoning for grilled chicken breast that is sugar-free. When cooked over a high heat source, sugar, especially brown sugar, can burn. After liberally seasoning the chicken breast with olive oil, do so. Do this first thing as your grill warms up. There is no justification for letting the meat warm up to room temperature.
If you’re smoking chicken at a lower heat (i. e. We use an all-purpose seasoning with sugar that slowly caramelizes over a longer cooking time (low and slow cooking).
Because the thickness of the chicken breasts will affect the grilling time, it is best to cook to temperature rather than time with a good instant-read thermometer.
On one side of the grill, for searing, there is charcoal or a heat source, and on the other, there is neither charcoal nor heat source. This enables the next crucial technique, which involves searing the chicken over direct heat to develop a crust on each side before finishing with indirect heat to achieve the desired internal temperature. Regardless of the cut of chicken you use, this is the secret to flawlessly grilling it.
The direct indirect method is important because high heat will cause the chicken’s fat to render out more quickly and drip into the coals. This may result in flare-ups that send out large flames and possibly burn the chicken, giving it a crusty dark burnt skin but an interior that is still undercooked. Moving the chicken to indirect heat after searing it to the desired crust prevents flare-ups caused by the fat and allows the chicken to roast like an oven.
Unlike a charcoal grill, a gas grill allows you to lower the flame. However, even with a lower flame, it is still simple to use this technique with a gas grill to prevent burning the chicken.
Using USDA pasteurization tables, Thermoworks has a very thorough article on the specifics of internal chicken temperature and how long it must be held for safe cooking.
Another thing to keep in mind is that cooking chicken wings and drumsticks to an internal temperature of 175 degrees F actually improves their texture. Because more intramuscular connective tissue breaks down, the texture is improved.
You need an instant read thermometer to get the most accurate reading. One of the essential grilling tools for outdoor (or indoor, for that matter) cooking is this. Thermoworks Thermapen MK4 is the instant read thermometer we always use for chicken. The probe is simple to use, practically instant, and most importantly, we can slowly move the probe through the chicken to view the temperature range and pull at precisely the right time.
Since each cut and each piece of chicken will finish cooking at a different time, the advantage of cooking chicken in separate pieces is that you can check the temperature of each cut and remove each piece of chicken when it reaches the ideal temperature.
How Long Does it Take to Grill a Whole Chicken?
It will take between 105 and 150 minutes to cook a 6-pound chicken whole.
The total cooking time depends on the effectiveness of your BBQ, ambient temperature (the weather), and the starting temperature of the chicken.
The recommended temperature range for your grill is 200-300 °F (93-149 °C), whether you grill it upright or on its back. Depending on the size of the bird and how well your grill maintains temperature, the total cooking time will be between one and two hours.
However, you can drastically cut the time if you spatchcock the chicken!
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A whole chicken can be cooked in just 30 to 40 minutes if it is spatchcocked because the thickness of each part is drastically reduced and heat can reach every part of the bird more easily.
Use a dependable thermometer to ensure that every part of the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and keep in mind that the thermometer, not the clock, determines when the chicken is done.
Cooking Temperatures, Thermometers and Food Safety
Nothing beats a good digital, instant-read thermometer for checking the temperature of cooked chicken (or any meat, for that matter). They are highly accurate, fast and reliable.
If you don’t have a method, I’ll mention some alternatives, but nothing is better or more secure. Before you cook your first piece of chicken, I STRONGLY advise you to have an instant-read digital thermometer. If you don’t have one, check out our guide to the best instant-read thermometers.
Knowing the temperature of a piece of chicken that is properly cooked is necessary now that you have a thermometer in your possession.
Marinating chicken is personal choice and can add additional flavor. Simple options include homemade chicken marinade or Italian dressing. Either way, the same cooking technique applies. We advise marinating chicken for 3-6 hours and using smaller cuts (like cubed chicken pieces or our pounded chicken breasts) when doing so.
Skin-on adds a great texture to the grilled chicken. We buy skin on. However, if you prefer boneless, skinless chicken breast, the procedure is exactly the same.
Unlike a charcoal grill, a gas grill allows you to lower the flame. However, even with a lower flame, it is still simple to use this technique with a gas grill to prevent burning the chicken.
In order to get the most accurate temperature you need an instant read thermometer. This is one of the key grill tools needed for anyone cooking outdoors (or indoors for that matter). Our go to instant read thermometer for chicken is the Thermoworks Thermapen MK4. The probe is easy to use, it is virtually instant and most important, we can slowly move the probe through the chicken so we see the range of temperature and pull at just the right time.
Another thing to keep in mind is that cooking chicken wings and drumsticks to an internal temperature of 175 degrees F actually improves their texture. Because more intramuscular connective tissue breaks down, the texture is improved.
FAQ
How long does chicken take to grill at 300?
The recommended temperature range for your grill is 200-300 °F (93-149 °C), whether you grill it upright or on its back. Depending on the size of the bird and how well your grill maintains temperature, the total cooking time will be between one and two hours.
How long does it take to cook chicken breast at 300?
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put the chicken in a shallow pan on a broiling rack. Apply 1 teaspoon of olive oil to each breast, then generously rub in the herb mixture. Bake 40 minutes, covered with foil, basting occasionally.
How long does it take to grill chicken breast at 350?
According to FoodSafety, cook boneless, 4-ounce chicken breasts for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. gov.
Can you BBQ chicken at 300?
A Quick Low and Slow Cook The typical range for cooking on a barbecue is 200–300°F (93–149°C). A whole chicken is a tender, leaner cut of meat than traditional BBQ cuts, so typically that means a lengthy, slow cooking process.
