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Chicken on the Grill

For many people chicken is a favorite "ol’ standby" — always easily paired with other items on the menu and flexible enough to accommodate a variety of flavors, seasonings, sauces and the like. Like most other meats, chicken can be cooked in a variety of ways. One of our favorite ways to prepare "ol’ faithful" is to grill it. There is something about the wonderful flavors imparted by the grill that cannot be duplicated in the oven.

The key to grilling chicken is to cook the chicken all the way through and yet not dry it out in the process. There are several ways you can avoid this all-to-common outcome.

Indirect heat: Most of the grilling we do in our test kitchen is done over a 4 burner gas grill. This is the same size grill that is common in many households.

Step 1: Light both sides of the grill, cover and let the grill heat up to about 400-500 degrees F.

Step 2: Make sure that your chicken is lightly coated in oil to prohibit it from sticking to the grill racks.

Step 3: Turn 2 burners on one side of the grill off. Place the chicken on the "off-side" and let cook for 5-6 minutes. (The grill rack is still very hot so the chicken will still sear on the outside but will not be exposed to the direct flame. This allows the chicken to cook through but not be burned by flare-ups, or the intense fire.)

Step 4: Turn the burners that were off back on and turn the other side off. Turn the chicken over onto the new "off" side. Let cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Step 5: Continue this process 4 or 5 times, or for a total cooking time of about 25-30 minutes. The chicken is done when the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

Step 6: Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent with foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Brine it: This method is particularly helpful with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Without the protective layer of skin and the bone, and the uneven thickness, you frequently end up with a dry piece of meat when it’s done. Pounding the chicken to an even thickness, brining it and then grilling it over direct heat will solve this problem.

Step 1: Remove the tenderloin and reserve it for another purpose (this little piece will not cook at the same rate as the other part of the chicken breast).

Step 2: Pound the boneless, skinless chicken breasts out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. This will give the breast a uniform thickness, plus it will break up the meat slightly which will allow the brine to penetrate a little better.

Step 3: To prepare the brine, dissolve 1-1/2 tablespoons of table salt (or 1/4 cup of kosher salt) with 1/4 cup of sugar in 8 cups of cold water. This will make enough brine for 4 chicken breasts. If you are making more of less, adjust the amount of brine accordingly. The sugar in the brine will caramelize on the surface of the chicken as it cooks, giving it a good, grilled coloring. To help dissolve the sugar and water you can add it to 1 cup of boiling water, stir until dissolved and add to the remaining water. Make sure the brine is cool before you add the chicken. You can brine in a shallow, covered baking dish or a large zip lock bag. Brine the chicken for 30 minutes. It is important that you give the brine enough time to work, but that you don’t over do it.

Step 4: Preheat the grill. The grill should be hot before you put the chicken on. Make sure that the grill racks are clean and lightly coated with oil.

Step 5: With the grill hot, put the chicken over the hottest part of the fire. The total cooking time should be about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken only once and leave the lid off the grill. You want to cook by direct heat, and only direct heat. Timing is very important because of the short cooking time.

Step 6: Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent with foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled Chicken with Chili Sauce

Both methods are great and both will produce a delicious, juicy piece of chicken. Now that you are a pro at grilling chicken, test out these great summer recipes!

Grilled Chicken & Grape Salad

Grilled Chicken with Berry Relish

Grilled Chicken with Chili Sauce

Grilled Chicken with Lemons & Balsamic Vinegar

Grilled Chicken Wings

Grilled Chicken with Sweet Chili Glaze

Grilled Chicken with Rosemary

Grilled Chicken with Guava BBQ Sauce

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

Spicy Grilled Chicken Wings

Grilled Chicken with Rosemary

Grilled Chicken with Fresh BBQ Sauce

Enjoy!

- Glutenfreeda




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