What is the best way to cook chicken breasts on a BBQ?!
What is the best way to cook chicken breasts on a BBQ?
I have chicken breasts, marinade, BBQ sauce and a BBQ.
SO....how high do I let the heat go before I put it on? how long for each side of the breast?
Come on you BBQ gurus! Help me out! Never done it before.
Answers:
I season mine and cook them over medium low heat, turning every five minutes or so so that the meat doesn't burn. If it starts to char, your fire is too high. Depending on the thickness it can take up to 40 minutes for a breast to be done. Reserve the last five minutes (after you've sliced into the chicken to see it's done) for basting with bbq sauce. If you constantly put bbq sauce on and your fire is too high, you'll end up with chicken briquettes!
Both have times
Smoked BBQ Chicken Recipe courtesy Del King
Show: BBQ with Bobby Flay
Episode: Big BBQ
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...
Chicken or Steak with Balsamic BBQ Sauce Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Dressing Up BBQ
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...
turn the heat down to low, this will allow even cooking, if you turn the heat up too high, it will burn on the outside but be cold on the inside still, look up the proper temperature for chicken ( i think its 165 deg F) and check to make sure its done with a meat thermometer.
Don't puncture the chicken with a fork or anything, this will allow the juice to run out and it will end up dry, make one hole in each breast with the thermometer, then re-use the same hole each time you take the temperature.
I would soak the chicken in the marinade for as long as possible before you cook it.
You do not need to defrost chicken, I have put frozen chicken breast directly onto the BBQ many times an had no problems, it just takes a little longer to cook is all
Enjoy!
GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS
1 - 1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
bbq sauce
desired seasoning
Preheat gas grill on high. Brush bbq sauce on all pieces. Lightly season. Grill over high heat until lightly brown. Turn each side twice while cooking and baste with bbq sauce each time to keep meat moist. Takes 8-12 minutes. Don't overcook, chicken will get tough.
Chicken breasts have very little fat so they can dry out easily. It's a good idea to brine them before cooking. To make brine combine 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 sugar and a gallon of cold or room temperature water in a glass or plastic container (DO NOT use a metal pot or container) and soak the chicken in it for at least 4 hours in the fridge (this owrks for any poultry and pork as well). You can also add other flavourings to your brine like lemon juice, garlic or herbs.
I'm assuming you know that you don't barbecue over actual flames but over hot coals. Bring your grill up to the highest position it will adjust to and lay the chicken, skin side down, spaced evenly on the grill with tongs. Don't use a fork.
It's a bit hard to gauge because all grills are different. If you find your food is still cooking too quickly over the coals, push the coals to the outermost part of your grill and lay the food over the center part
Your overall grilling time will be about 4 minutes on each side or until they're firm in the middle when you press them with your tongs. They'll be about the same firmness as the base of your thumb where it connects to your hand when your thumb is bent in. And you should only turn them once. Turning multiple times can dry them out. If you want those cross hatch marks you see in restaurants and on TV cooking shows, grill for two minutes and then rotate the breast 180 degrees and cook another two minutes on one or each side. Remember, after you take them off the grill, they'll still continue to cook for 30 seconds to a minute...longer if you pile them one on top of the other.
Since your cooking time is so short, you can start brushing sauce on right away (with larger cuts of meat, sauce usually starts going on 15 minutes before cooking time is done.)