Grilled chicken is one of the easiest and healthiest meals you can make again and again in order to keep your diet clean and your lunches and dinners interesting. The two most common cuts of chicken to be grilled are the breast and the thigh. The breast is leaner and therefore has fewer calories. While the thigh has a higher fat content, many see it as the tastier cut of poultry.
If you have time to plan ahead, marinate your chicken. A good marinade will add depth of flavor such as a barbecue or lemon note to your chicken. A simple yet effective marinade made from ingredients already in your refrigerator is a half and half mixture of balsamic dressing and orange juice. This will add plenty of moisture to your chicken breast or thigh and also come thru in a tangy sweet/sour flavor once everything is done. Before sticking your cuts into a bag with your marinade, be sure to pat the chicken or breast dry. From there, leave your chicken marinating in the refrigerator for the day to be ready at night. Do not leave for more than 24 hours! Cook any time in the next 24 hours. If you do not have plans to marinate your bird, simply basting the chicken in barbecue sauce will still work. You can also give it a dry rub of salt and pepper or buy a poultry seasoning sauce at your local grocery store. Most are inexpensive and delicious.
It is important to find the best small grill to cook your chicken and you can find reviews of individual grills online. In order to grill, take your seasoned chicken and put it over a medium/hot flame. Some grills have a temperature gauge but if you can do it without a thermometer, you can cook this chicken anywhere. Wait for grill marks to appear on the bottom of your filet. When it is time to flip, your chicken should not stick. Flip your chicken and do the same on the uncooked side. If your cut is on the smaller side, you can keep on the same heat, wait for your chicken to unstick and remove. It should be white on the inside, never clear or pink. If you have a larger piece of chicken, move your portion to lower heat to finish cooking the inside without over-charring the outside. All in all, this will typically take 4-minutes a side with an extra minute each way for larger or thicker breasts and thighs. Once you pull from the fire, the bird will keep cooking. Let it cool for 3-5min and serve with a little salt to taste.
The beautiful part of grilled chicken is it can go with almost anything. Serve with your favorite grains and vegetables. Grilled chicken will also keep well in your refrigerator for 5-7 days. Use it for meal prep. And, it’s delicious cold! Reheating will cause it to dry a bit so be sure to warm in a skillet or the oven rather than the microwave. Finding your favorite way to prepare grilled chicken is part of the fun. Everyone has their own spin on things and can make it unique to their flavor profile or for those whom they are cooking.
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