Now that summer is almost here, it’s grilling season. But before you fire up the grill, here are some tips to make sure your chicken doesn’t end up burnt, dry, or flavorless - because nobody came to the barbecue for that. Here are the biggest chicken grilling mistakes and how to avoid them so you end up with delicious, moist, and tender chicken:
You’re not brining your chicken - This extra step is worth the effort. There are two kinds of brine: wet and dry and it really comes down to preference and how much time you have. It’s better to leave a wet brine on the bird overnight for the most tender results, the dry one doesn’t need as much time. Brine is a simple mix of water and salt.
You’re cooking on a high heat the whole time - High heat gets you that crispy skin people love, but you don’t need to put your poultry in a huge fire. Medium-low is the best temperature to use on a charcoal grill and medium on a gas one will get your bird crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked inside.
You’re slathering it in sauces right from the start - Put down that sauce to avoid burnt disappointment. Because barbecue sauce is made with sugar, which burns quickly, you really don’t need to add it until the last few minutes of grilling.
You’re cooking all of your chicken the same way - You need to cook boneless and bone-in, skinless and skin-on chicken differently. A chicken breast with skin-on and bone-in takes a lot longer to cook than a boneless one and you definitely don’t want to end up with an undercooked bird.
You’re not using a meat thermometer - That piece of grilled chicken might look done on the outside with the grill marks and crispy skin, but a meat thermometer will help you know for sure. The FDA-approved internal temperature for chicken is 165-degrees, but you can take it off the grill at 160 and the internal temperature will rise as it rests, so it’s good to go when you dig in. Plus it's good to let it rest for a few minutes before cutting into it, it makes it more juicy
Source: Fox News