Grilling Chicken
A Beginners Guide To Grilling Chicken
The first consideration that you will need to determine when grilling chicken is the portion that you intend to use. Dark meat and white meat each have different moisture levels and cooking times, as do boneless cuts versus those with the bone in. Skin also makes a big difference, so we will cover each aspect and cut of this popular poultry.
When grilling chicken with the bone in, a slower, more controlled heat is needed in order to draw the raw moisture from the bone into the meat. If the bone is not cooked, the raw juices will continue to run out of it and into the center of your meat. Flash boiling your bone in chicken for about twenty minutes will help to ensure that the meat does not dry out on the grill, thereby lessening your labor. If you would rather not boil the meat prior to grilling it, you should cook the meat for at least 35 minutes at a low to medium flame intensity, and turn it at least four times during the process.
Dark meat chicken has a higher moisture content than does the white meat cut, as the blood concentration is more dense in these areas. In the case of grilling boneless dark meat chicken, such as a thigh portion, the flame intensity should be medium, and you will need to pay close attention for flare-ups. Keeping a spray bottle filled with water close by will help to subside any of the rogue flames. The cooking time for a standard boneless chicken thigh would be 8 minutes on the fatty skinned side and 4 minutes on the other.
Bone in, skin on chicken breast will need to be grilled over a low to medium flame, preferably starting out on the skin side of the meat. By searing this side first, for at least 9 minutes, you can turn the bone side down and allow the cooking to continue for 12 to 14 minutes longer with the juices preserved. These portions of meat have a higher potential for flavor and moisture contain than do the boneless skinless variety, as the bone and cartilage protects the tenderloin portion of the breast, and the heat tends to pull its moisture from the skin rather than the meat itself.
When cooking boneless skinless chicken breast, the meat is much more vulnerable than when grilling chicken with the bone and skin on. Marinade is a common method for not only tenderization and flavoring, but for infusing extra moisture into the meat. This cut of meat should be grilled over a medium flame for no longer than 6 minutes on each side. The cook time is reduced largely because of the lack of insulation around it. This meat should be left to settle for at least 5 minutes before serving, as this time allows for the juices to congeal and the internal steaming process to finish cooking the meat.