Top Tips for Grilling Chicken

How do you grill chicken perfectly? Well you've come to the right place!  Here are 4 of our tips for grilling chicken. Scroll to the bottom to get a fan favourite recipe from Weber's Greatest Hits. Preview more recipes from the cookbook here. 

Paying for Flavour

If you are willing to spend more for organic, free-range chicken, you will appreciate some obvious differences. Birds that are able to run around and forage in the great outdoors have a more pronounced chicken flavour and meat that is firmer without being tough.

Evening Out

One of the challenges of grilling boneless, skinless chicken breasts is that the thickness varies from end to end. If you find a thin strip of meat (known as the tender) under a breast, remove it and grill it separately. Also, for more even cooking, place each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it with a mallet or heavy pan to a uniform thickness of about 1/2 to 1/4 inch.

The Bone Issue

Boneless chicken pieces are thin enough to grill entirely over direct heat. When the bones are involved, however, the parts take longer to cook, so it’s important to use both direct and indirect heat.

When Is It Done?

The USDA recommends cooking poultry until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Keep in mind that in whole birds the internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees during resting. Check the thigh meat by inserting the probe of a thermometer into the thickest part (but not touching the bone). If you don’t have a thermometer, cut into the center of the meat. The juices should run clear and the meat should no longer be pink at the bone. We recommend using the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub.