How do you keep chicken moist on the grill?

There are a gazillion ways to keep food on the grill moist. A lot of factors depends upon how you like to cook and what kind of chicken do you want. Cooking time will depend on the type of chicken you are doing – whole, pieces with skin and bones, or skinless/boneless.

If you are a grill lover you need to know how to keep chicken moist on the grill? Also, how to keep the grilled chicken moist after cooking? let,s see 

chicken moist on the grill

A couple of ways marinate, overnight or at least 8 hours. I’ve used something as simple as an Italian salad dressing to more elaborate marinates.

The second way try using wrapping the chicken in bacon, especially good with breasts. Basting helps and not cooking on super high temps. Slow makes it moist.

Today’s factory-bred chickens have very little fat and thus have no margin of error for the griller. They’re more of an advanced dish.

BTW: It’s exciting that in competition BBQ you will ONLY see the thighs entered for evaluation. Breasts are too finicky when there’s money on the line.

There is a way to grill chicken, even boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and keep them moist and tender following the total cook time. You must use a two-zone grill technique. This means setting up the heat on one side of the grill while the other has no heat source (gas on the gas grill or charcoal on the charcoal grill).

The chicken is placed on the non-heat side of the grill. Be sure you’ve applied some oil to the chicken itself to keep it from sticking to the grate and also to aid in crisping the skin. Put the lid on the grill and allow to cook. 

Tips on chicken moist on the grill

  1. Marinade your chicken for 4 to 6 hours is preferred.
  2. Use a digital meat probe. They sell them in grocery stores and kitchen supply stores for about 8 dollars.
  3. Keep the flame moderate so as not to char the meat too much.
  4. Cook to 165 degrees internal temperature. On a breast insert at the thickest part at the top or widest part to check the temperature. The more you cook over 165 the drier and stringy the protein will become. 165 kills all bacteria associated with poultry.
  5. Enjoy your meal :—)

Related:

How long do you grill chicken breast?

Grill chicken breasts for around 9 to 10 minutes total, flipping halfway through. How long do you grill chicken on each side? Grill chicken breasts for around 5 minutes on each side.

How long does it take to cook a chicken breast on a gas grill?

Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes total, cooking for 2-3 minutes at a time per side. Once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, the chicken is done.

How to keep chicken moist when grilling?  

The easiest way to keep the breast meat moist and make it flavorful is to put fat and flavor inside — to stuff it.

At its simplest, this means cutting a slit in bone-in chicken breasts and spreading a little butter or drizzling a little olive in the incision, an undemanding task that improves the meat’s flavor and texture immensely. 

chicken moist when grilling

When you mix the butter with fresh tarragon, basil, chives, roasted garlic, or whatever other flavoring you like, you upgrade the results significantly.

To pound, lay the meat among two sheets of plastic wrap, then whack at it with a mallet, rolling pin, or the bottom of a heavy skillet until it is about a quarter-inch thick. 

If you’re not interested in a fancy presentation, just pound the chicken until it’s fairly thin. Then fold it over the stuffing of your choice the way you would fold a tortilla over taco fillings, and secure it with a skewer.

My friend follows this process_ 

First, I brine the chicken. A quarter cup of Kosher salt plus 2 teaspoons of sugar per quart of water, and let the chicken sit in the brine for at least 2 hours if in pieces and 6–8 hours if whole. 

Second, if the skin is on I sear the meat then turn the heat on the grill down to slow-roast. Basting helps as well.

Third, I don’t overcook the meat – I use a meat thermometer and stop at 160–165 degrees. Lastly, I always let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes after it comes off the grill before cutting into it or serving it.

 I haven’t had a problem with white versus dark meat because if it is a whole chicken, I test both breast and thin meat and turn the piece often to roast it evenly.

Do you grill chicken on high or low heat?

If you cook the chicken on too hot a grill, the skin will burn before the flesh cooks. 

Medium-low is the best temperature on a charcoal grill, and medium on a gas grill. This way, you’ll crisp the skin and avoid flare-ups. Dark meat on the bone is more flavorful and will stay juicier on the grill.

How to keep the grilled chicken moist after cooking? 

The one mistake people make with chicken breasts is they are almost always overcooked and dry. The only way to have moist chicken breasts is to cook only until the internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

grilled chicken moist after cooking

 I purchased a meat thermometer that you can keep inserted in the chicken while it cooks. As soon as you reach 160 remove it from the grill. Now all your chicken breasts will be juicy. 

You can also dry brine the chicken overnight with salt pepper and 2 or 3 of your favorite herbs like oregano, paprika, thyme, etc. This concoction keeps juices contained and makes the chicken even more flavorful. 

All that being said, one of the excellent techniques is indirect heat. Keep chicken away from direct heat (charcoal or propane burner) on “the cool side of the grill”.

When it’s getting close to done, you can finish it by placing it directly over the heat source (say, to crisp skin) but just for a minute.

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