Grill it, Sauce it, Eat it! That seems like a simple process to barbecue chicken. Then why do so many people get it wrong? I’ll tell you – juicy, delicious barbecue chicken requires patience. Grilling chicken can’t be rushed. Well . . . it can – but it shouldn’t be.
The keys to success are proper grill temperature, knowing why and what to do when the grill starts flaring, and the understanding that chicken on the grill requires your undivided attention. Otherwise, your process becomes – Grill it, Burn it, and EXTRA Sauce it! You’ve been there. So let me tell you what I’ve learned over the years. You’ll have great chicken every time.
I wasn't always good at grilling chicken
Burnt chicken – yes, I’ve been there. Picture this: a perfect summer day, the family is over for a cook-out, the beer is cold, music is great, and the sun is out! Meanwhile… the grill is hot, the lid is closed, I’ve been distracted away from the grill, and the chicken is ON FIRE!
True Story. I looked over and saw smoke, dark smoke, billowing out of the grill. I opened the lid only to see flames raging. Opening the lid didn’t seem to make it better, so of course, I closed the lid. I didn’t really want to see what was happening to my chicken anyway. I shut off the gas and waited, feeling sorry for my guests – and the chicken. Eventually I felt it was safe to make my way over to the grill and sheepishly opened the lid. It wasn’t pretty. But I fixed it. Lots of barbecue sauce! I just couldn’t let this happen again.
So then I learned...
Chicken must be grilled at a relatively low temperature for a number of reasons. The first is that High heat makes tough meat. This is especially true for chicken. Read my article titled “Not So Tough To Be Tender.” I don’t want to repeat all the details here, but just know that if you’re not searing a quality, tender piece of beef, meat should be grilled on a low setting for tenderness.
The second reason is that that chicken, especially if it’s not boneless, takes 45 minutes to an hour for the internal temperature to reach a safe 165 F. High heat will dry out chicken over that period of time.
And finally, chicken fat starts rendering between 130 and 140 degrees. Meaning, this is when the fat turns to grease and starts dripping onto the hot coals or the “flavor bars” of your gas grill. You will get fire and flare ups. The higher the heat, the bigger the flames. Trust me, YOU DON’T WANT FLAMES UNDER YOUR CHICKEN! It’s never a good thing. Although not completely avoidable, at a lower heat, it is manageable.
When grilling chicken, the grill master wears many hats, especially as the Regional Flare Manager
The good news is that this phase of grease rendering onto your grill only lasts for about 15 minutes. Since the meat temperature must get to 165 to be safe, the chicken has to pass through the temperature that causes the grease to drip and flare. At a lower temperature, the flames can be navigated – unlike like the 3-alarm blaze I created years back.
3 keys to perfect chicken
First, take the time to trim the extra skin and fat off the chicken you’re going to grill. The fat on chicken isn’t marbled throughout like in beef, but instead it’s in the skin and those yellow fat globules attached to the meat. So more fat doesn’t necessarily mean more flavor, but it certainly increases flare ups.
Second, once the chicken is on the grill, keep moving the pieces around. This will help you cook all the chicken at about the same rate because all grills have hot spots. You also must move the chicken away from any flames. Like I said before, it’s never a good thing.
And finally, have an “exit strategy” for those instances when the flames appear to be winning. I keep a tray next to the grill to move pieces of chicken on and off the grill until the grease dripping flames are done. At that point, you’ve beat the grease, Flare Manager!
Don't go anywhere!
So why do you never leave the grill? You have to be there to keep that chicken moving. It’s a different kind of chicken dance, but a chicken dance none the less. To avoid fire, keep the chicken away from flames, and to cook the all chicken at the same rate. And if you need another adult beverage and made the mistake of not bringing a cooler to the grill, get a runner! Stay with your grill – get yourself a good wingman!
What comes after "Grill It"?
Now it’s time to “Sauce it!” We’re all different, but I like a liberal dose of sauce if I’m going to call it BBQ Chicken. I don’t want the sauce to be dripping off the chicken, but I’m also not up for a little brush of sauce on the top side.
Now, since BBQ sauce has a lot of sugar, it burns quickly over the grill, so I wait until the chicken is done. Then get yourself a large bowl – I mean large. Depending on how much chicken you’re cooking and the size of your bowl, put several pieces of your grilled chicken into the bowl. Now pour enough of your favorite sauce over the chicken so when you toss the chicken in the bowl, every nook and cranny is sauced.
Put the chicken back on the grill for just a minute or two on each side, just enough to get the sauce to caramelize a bit. I’m using none other than the barbecue sauce straight from Uncle Carl’s Kitchen. And then it’s the best part – eat it!!
Say goodbye to your burnt chicken past
Okay so maybe there’s a little more to grilling chicken than just “Grill it, Sauce it, Eat it” – you can’t forget trim it, watch it, dance with it, and share it. This has been a fun one to write for you. Best of luck next time you’re at the grill!
Until next time -
Uncle Carl
About Uncle Carl
For 30+ years, Uncle Carl has relied heavily on the ‘trial and error’ method to perfect his approach to barbecue. He’s here to save you from the ‘error’ and smoke to impress.
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