Grilled chicken is a favorite among health addicts, weight watchers, athletes who want to increase muscle mass, and many more. It’s a very healthy way to eat chicken. Chicken meat is known for its high protein content and can be eaten by dieters or those who want to pack on a lot of muscle. You can grill different parts of a chicken like the legs, breasts and wings. You can eat it whole, sliced, skewered or filleted. It’s a bit difficult to grill chicken to perfection. This is because the outside can burn easily while the inside is still raw. Here are some important pre-grilling, grilling and post-grilling tips to appreciate the full flavor of grilled chicken. These grilling tips are best appreciated using a Coleman Roadtrip Grill LXE type of grill.
Pre-grilling
1. Keep the chicken cold in the refrigerator and bring it out only if ready to cook. Thaw is first before placing it on top of the grill.
2. Paint or coat the grill rack with oil or use non-stick spray. This will prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill. The chicken skin has natural oils too that can prevent sticking.
3. Keep the grill hot before placing the chicken.
4. Use a wide metal spatula or long-handled tongs to handle the chicken. Don’t use a fork because the juices will flow out. Keep them in there.
Grilling
1. It’s best to use low to medium heat in grilling the chicken.
2. Distribute the charcoal so there will be even distribution of heat. This is where the use of propane gas grills like Coleman Roadtrip Grill LXE is better. The heat is evenly distributed and no messy charcoal.
3. The distance of the grill rack to the burning coal should be between 5 to 10 inches to avoid overcooking the chicken. It’s best not to sear the chicken; this can leave the inside raw.
4. Large chicken meat slices usually take 30 minutes to 1 hour to cook. It cooks less if the chicken is boneless, separated or cut into thin slices.
5. You can use two ways to know if the chicken is cooked. The first way is to get a meat thermometer and check the temperature. For whole chickens, the optimal temperature is 180 – 185 degrees Fahrenheit. For breast parts, a temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit is enough. The other way is to cut on one side of the chicken and assess the cut surface. If the pink color is gone, that means it’s already cooked.
6. Don’t forget to turn chicken just once to cook the other side. Keep the lid of your grill closed to seal in the heat and distribute it evenly. It also prevents too much oxygen from getting in and causing flare-ups.
Post-grilling
1. Before serving, allow your grilled chicken to cool down for a few minutes. This will help in keeping the juices in.
2. Put the spices or coatings after grilling or when the chicken is almost finished. This is also true for the barbecue sauce. The sugar content of the sauces burn the chicken meat if you put them on the chicken before grilling.
3. Chicken meat is notorious for sticking to a dirty grill. Make sure you clean your grill before the next chicken barbecue. Otherwise, the charred bits of the old chicken will stick to the one you are cooking.
There you have it. Grilling chicken to perfection takes time and practice to master. To cook it thoroughly and evenly, make sure you have the right grill.
