8 mistakes you're probably making when grilling chicken

If you're cranking the heat up too high you might be ruining your dinner.

Courtney Rada, foodie and host of the meat-focused show "Carnivorous" on Genius Kitchen, told Business Insider that you don't need to keep your grill super hot.

"If you're using a gas grill, medium-high is an ideal temperature — about 350 degrees," she said.

If you're using charcoal to cook wings, consider pushing the coals to one side so the chicken cooks on indirect heat. That way you have direct heat on one side for searing and indirect heat on the other for lower and slower cooking.

A grill's temperature drops each time you open the lid.

That's why Claudia Sidoti, head chef for HelloFresh, said to cover the grill while the chicken is cooking to create an oven-like experience and prevent precious heat from escaping.

If your meat thermometer is collecting dust in the back of your silverware drawer, you might want to dig it out.

Both Rada and Sidoti said not using a thermometer is a big mistake.

"A meat thermometer is really the only reliable method for determining when meat is done, and there are even meat thermometers that list the actual poultry and temperature on the dial itself to really help guide you on your grill journey," said Rada.

Sidoti recommended using a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat to get the most accurate reading and make sure it's not touching the bone.

You might want to wait a few minutes before slathering your favorite barbecue sauce onto your chicken.

In fact, Rada said, let your chicken sit on the grill before adding more marinade to it, especially if your sauce has a high sugar content as barbecue sauce does. 

"Sauce can add a great caramelized crust and flavor but adding too much too early can cause sugar to burn quickly and make it more difficult to judge if your meat is cooked through," she told BI. 

It's tempting to pack the grill full of your favorite fruit and veggie kabobs while the chicken is cooking, but this can end up creating a big mess. 

"If you crowd the grill with other food, the drippings can build up and create larger flames that may give your meat a burnt taste," Rada said. 

The cooking time and temperature will depend on the cut of meat, according to Rada.

If she's grilling a chicken breast, she said she'll flip it four times, which creates a sear for the first two sides to keep in moisture and also adds that nice charred flavor from the grill. Then she finishes with the last two flips over indirect heat.

"A chicken breast cooked correctly will un-stick easily when finished — it shouldn't fight you when it's time to take it off the grill," she told BI.

If you're grilling something other than a breast, such as a wing or a thigh, you may want to ask your butcher about the optimal cooking time for the particular cut of meat you're grilling.

To avoid letting the juices run out, your chicken should let it rest off of the heat before you cut into it.

Rada said smaller pieces only need about five minutes, but you should wait 15 to 30 minutes for a half or a whole grilled chicken.  

The general rule of thumb, according to Rada, is to clean your grill before you start cooking.

"It's crucial to clean your grill with a good brush to avoid flare-ups," she told BI.

She said she prefers bristle-free brushes or nylon.

If you don't have a grill brush handy, Rada said, you can scrunch up a piece of aluminum foil, pick it up with kitchen tongs, and scrub the grill with that.

This story was originally published in May 2018 and most recently updated on May 23, 2024.

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