Try this Easy Grilled BBQ Chicken recipe
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (0g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat grill to medium-low heat and oil the grill rack.
- Place chicken pieces on grill and grill, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Turn pieces over and grill for an additional 20 minutes.
- Baste with BBQ sauce and grill for an additional 5 minutes.
- Turn over and baste other side with sauce, and then cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Applying barbecue sauce at the start of cooking guarantees a charred exterior and raw interior because the high sugar content burns long before the meat reaches a safe internal temperature. Controlling heat zones on the grill solves this fundamental cooking error. Bone-in pieces require moderate, indirect heat to render subcutaneous fat and cook the dense muscle through to the bone safely without scorching the exterior. Medium-low heat maintains a steady grill temperature around 325 degrees Fahrenheit, which protects the poultry from flare-ups caused by dripping rendered fat. Oil the grill grates thoroughly using a high-smoke-point oil applied with a folded paper towel held by long tongs to prevent the proteins from sticking during the initial twenty-minute phase. Turning the pieces every twenty minutes ensures even heat distribution across the surface of the meat. Delaying the sauce application until the final ten minutes prevents the sugars in the condiment from caramelizing too early and turning bitter. Basting the chicken during the last two five-minute intervals creates a lacquered, tacky coating that adheres to the seared skin without burning. Sugar-heavy sauces demand this late-stage application because tomato and molasses bases burn easily when exposed to direct flames for prolonged periods. Different cuts require slight adjustments, as drumsticks finish cooking faster than large bone-in breasts due to varying thickness. Testing the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat verifies doneness at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Letting the poultry rest for five minutes after removal from the grill allows the internal juices to redistribute evenly throughout the muscle fibers.
