The advantage of grilling different chicken pieces is that everyone can
pick the piece they want. The problem is getting all the pieces grilled
perfectly so that everyone is happy.You should start by deciding on a
flavor combination for the chicken. I will begin with a good poultry
rub, then add barbecue sauce at the end. These are optional, but they do
enhance the texture and flavor of the chicken. If you are going this
route, have your flavor decisions made before unpacking the meat.
Ingredients:
- One whole chicken cut up
- A good poultry rub
- Some Barbecue Sauce
- Fuel for your grill
- A trusty meat thermometer
Grilling Chicken – Preparing the Pieces:
- Wash the pieces before seasoning them.
- Start by preparing your chicken pieces for the grill.
- You will need to look for large clumps of fat and loose, unnecessary pieces of skin.
- Trim these off. This will help reduce the risk of flare-ups on the grill and result in a presentable piece of chicken.
- Make sure that you pat the chicken dry with paper towels afterward.
Grilling Chicken – Seasoning the Chicken
- Applying seasoning to the chicken before you start grilling not only adds flavor to the chicken but helps build up crispness to the surface as it cooks.
- Whatever rub or seasoning you like best will do.
- The secret is to get it on as much of the actual meat as possible.
- The skin will keep the flavor out, so work your herbs and spices under the skin where you can.
Grilling Chicken – Cleaning the Grill
- It is important that your grill is clean before you start cooking your chicken.
- Make sure that not only is the cooking surface clean but that there is no grease in the bottom of the grill
Grilling Chicken – Placing Chicken on the Grill
- Put the chicken on the grill.
- Put the larger pieces closer to higher temperature and the smaller pieces as far from the high temperature as possible.
Grilling Chicken – Dealing with Flare-Ups
- As the chicken heats up, fat will turn into a fine liquid and begin dripping into your grill.
- Since we are keeping the chicken away from the hottest part of the grill the problem shouldn’t be too big, but you may still have flare-ups.
- Your best bet is to take control of the flare-ups. Whenever you move the chicken on the grill take it to one corner that you are not using and give the piece a good shake.
Grilling Chicken – Turning the Chicken
- After about 15 minutes it will be time to check the chicken for turning.
- As chicken cooks it becomes firmer. You want to look for a nice brown color and firmer meat on the bottom side of the chicken.
- Once you have this, it is time to turn the chicken over.
- Turn it over and rotate the pieces so that the top side closest to you is now the bottom side farthest from you.
- This way you get even heat on each piece of chicken.
Grilling Chicken – Adding Barbecue Sauce
- If you are putting a barbecue sauce on your chicken, start when the chicken is nearly done.
Grilling Chicken – Checking the Temperature
- Check all the pieces of chicken to be certain that they are indeed, cooked.
- Once you have hit the target temperature remove the chicken from the grill.
- Cover and allow to rest for about 5 minutes then serve.
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