Grilling can be fun and challenging. It’s great all year round, but especially in the summer when it’s too hot to heat up the kitchen.
Grilled chicken can be flavorful and versatile. There are ways to grill a chicken to bring these qualities out.
Summer is a time to spend outdoors. It’s a great time to cook outside instead of heating up the kitchen. If you’ve never cooked on a grill before, this could be the year you start. If you don’t own a grill, you need to decide which one you prefer: charcoal, gas, or electric.
Choosing a Grill
Charcoal grills (which include ones that use wood) affect the taste of your meat two ways. First, because charcoal grills cook with intense heat, cooking time is affected. Second, the charcoal/wood flavors the meat the same way a seasoning does. Different types of wood give food different flavors. Common wood choices are hickory, red oak, cherry, and pecan. Experiment and see which you like best. (Charcoal/wood needs to be burned until it’s reduced to coal before actually using it to cook food. Meat may absorb certain resins and impurities making your meat bitter and unpleasant.)
Gas grills generally do not contribute anything to meat in terms of flavor. However, adding lava rocks, ceramic briquettes or metal heat plates or bars helps to add flavor. The main advantage of a gas grills is that you can control the heat with a twist of a knob and you can expect to have properly cooked food.
Electric grills are the easiest to use. You just plug it in and start grilling. However, what you gain in convenience you may lose in flavor. Electric grills are safer to use because there are no open flames or flammable liquids. The electric grills may also cook food a little more evenly because you can control the temperature easier. They’re also easier to clean because they cool quickly and the cooking grid is typically dishwasher safe.
Grill Accessories
If you’ve ever browsed the accessories section of a grilling area, you know there are hundreds of items available. You need the same types of utensils to cook on a grill that you need to cook in a kitchen (a spatula with a long handle). Here’s a list of accessories to start with.
o grill brush-To clean the grate
o long handled tongs-Use these to turn meat. (Don’t use a fork; this pierces the meat and causes the juice to run out. The result: dry chicken.)
o metal spatula
o squirt bottle-Control flare-ups
o thermometer-To determine when food is properly cooked
o oven mitts
o basting brushes
Choosing chicken
Choosing chicken to grill is not quite the task that choosing beef is. There are:
o whole chickens
o half chickens
o leg quarters
o breasts
o thighs
o drumsticks
o wings
Fresh is best; frozen is OK. A whole chicken is usually cheaper than chicken parts and it can be trimmed to size the pieces you enjoy cooking and eating (save necks, backs, etc. for gravy, soup, whatever).
It all depends on which part you (and your guests) enjoy most.
Chicken has two distinctively different kinds of meat which need to be treated differently. At the same time you want to get that grilled sear to give the chicken pieces that authentic grilled flavor.
Buy broiler-fryers for grilling. One 3½ to 4 pound whole broiling-frying chicken will make about 4 servings. Or, if you don’t want to cut the chicken up yourself, you can buy select parts that are packaged and sold together, making it easy to choose only what you need for a recipe or the part of the chicken you like best. These include chicken halves, quarters, breasts, leg and thigh combinations, or just the drumsticks, thighs, or wings.
If you bought frozen chicken, or froze it after you bought it, defrost it in the refrigerator. I’ll say that again: defrost it in the refrigerator; never at room temperature. To reduce defrosting time, you can put the frozen chicken in a bowl of cool water or defrost it in a microwave oven, set at 50% power, but never at room temperature. Never place grilled chicken on the same platter that held raw chicken.
After the chicken has thawed, it’s time to marinade it. Let the chicken remain in the marinade (in the refrigerator) for several hours before grilling. You can use and injector to get the flavor deep inside the muscle if you’re short on time. Don’t use salt in your marinade or seasonings. Salt causes the juices to be drawn out, leaving the chicken dry. If your chicken needs salt, apply it just before serving.
Grilling the Chicken
Trim excess fat and skin from chicken; wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Preheat grill to a medium heat.
Spray the cooking grate that is on the grill with a non-stick spray.
Place chicken grill; turn 90 degrees about every eight minutes.Seal the surfaces of the chicken to keep the juices in. Butter is great and adds a wonderful flavor, but it burns easily. Oil is probably best. You can mix some oil and marinade and keep brushing the surface of the chicken while grilling. Use fresh marinade for this (not the marinade the chicken was soaking in). This way, you won’t be basting with any bacteria that was left in the marinade by the raw chicken.
Turn chicken frequently to cook evenly without burning the skin. (When turning, use tongs, not a fork. A fork will pierce the meat and allow juices to run out; the chicken will be dry.)
When chicken is almost done, add barbecue sauce or marinade.
Test to see if the chicken is done by cutting a piece. The juices should be clear and the meat should be whitish-gray, not pink.
Cook the chicken to perfect doneness; don’t overcook. (No kidding?!?!?) This is hard. If chicken is undercooked, any bacteria in the meat, such as salmonella, will not be killed, and you could end up getting sick. Overcooking dries out the chicken and leaves it tough.
Remove from grill, let cool and serve.
How Long Should It Cook?
Rule of thumb: Chicken should be on the grill 45 minutes to an hour. Experts recommend an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F, but preferably 180 degrees F. It is important to cook chicken thoroughly to prevent food-borne illness.
When grilling a large amount or large pieces of chicken, it is best to keep the grill cover closed to keep cooking time to a minimum. It is important to keep an eye on the cooking progress and occasionally move each piece on the grill to keep it from sticking.
Chicken Parts
Whole chickens – Whole chickens take some time to cook (depends on the size of the chicken), but they are well worth the wait. You may have to replenish the coals if you’re using a charcoal grill. Whole chickens should reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh.
Chicken leg quarters and half chickens – Grilled chicken leg quarters and half chickens cook in about 30-35 minutes. Turn them often to prevent burning. Quarters and halves should reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.
Chicken breasts
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts will be cook in about 10-12 minutes. Turn them once every four or five minutes. Boneless, skinless breasts should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Bone-in chicken breasts should be seared for about four minutes on each side, then moved to lower heat for 18-20 more minutes. Bone-in chicken breasts should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Chicken thighs and drumsticks – Thighs and drumsticks cook in about 25-30 minutes on the grill. Thighs and drumsticks should reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.
Chicken wings – Chicken wings cook in about 10-15 minutes. Wings should reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.
What Kind of Wine Should I Serve?
Chicken is a very versatile meat. The old rule of white wine with white meat is no longer an absolute. Forget about the old rules. You don’t have to drink white wine with white meat or red wine with red meat, especially if you don’t like it. The next time someone tells you “you have to”, suggest they move into the 21st century.
Chicken dishes have many guises. There are creamy sauces, tomato-based sauces, oil-based sauces . . . and on and on and on . . . . It can be grilled, fried, roasted, stewed, fricasseed. . .and, again, on and on and on . . . . Once you add other ingredients with distinct flavors, specific wine types emerge as natural partners.
Wines with barbecue chicken dishes
Barbecued chicken tends to be heavy on seasoning, using powerful marinades and sticky sauces. Most of these have ketchup, vinegar, or mustard and get their sweetness from honey, brown sugar and fruit. These dishes need strong wines.
Chianti is a red wine with aromas of leather and minerals and powerful fruity flavors with a peppery edge and herbal undertones. Serve at room temperature.
Grenache is a full-bodied, sweet red wine with black currant and blackberry flavors. Serve slightly chilled.
Shiraz/Syrah is a very dark, flavorful red wine from Australia with flavors of dark berries, plums, peppers, cloves, licorice, and dark chocolate. Serve at room temperature.
Valpolicella is a medium-bodied red wine with hints of cherry and licorice. Serve slightly chilled.
Zinfandel is a dark red wine with rich flavors of blackberries and plums with distinctive pepper bite. Serve at room temperature.
Wines with roast chicken dishes
Roast chicken and grilled chicken (without all the marinades and sauces) are similar. Dry, but rounded wines pair well with these dishes.
Sauvignon Blanc is a medium-bodied, crisp white wine with complex layers ranging from herbal to tropical fruit. Serve chilled.
Semillon is a full-bodied white wine with nutty, floral characteristics. Serve chilled.
Wines with creamy chicken dishes
Creamy chicken dishes (chicken curry or a stroganoff perhaps) pair well with earthy, rugged, fruity wines.
Viognier is a full-bodied white wine with a deep golden color. Its main attraction is an aroma of apricots and orange blossoms. It has a flavor of minerals and peaches. Serve slightly chilled.
Wines with tomato based chicken dishes
These dishes tend to have strong tomato and garlic flavors.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep red, firm-bodied wine with a rich, distinct flavor that can take on flavors of red currants, chocolate, mulberries, mint, and spices. Serve at room temperature.
Chianti is a red wine with aromas of leather and minerals and powerful fruity flavors with a peppery edge and herbal undertones. Serve at room temperature.
Medoc is a delicate, medium-colored red wine with hints of fruits and spices. Serve slightly chilled.
