How to keep Chicken Breast Juicy on the Grill

It is very important to tackle such a topic especially for all people who prefer chicken over meat. As you all might know that the edible components of the chicken are: Breast, Leg (which includes thigh and drumstick), Wings, Giblets which are the organs such as the liver and heart. But not all these components are fatty and can be easily cooked; our star in this article is the Breast because it is, unfortunately, the driest component in the chicken because it doesn’t contain a high percentage of fat.

So here comes our role in providing you with golden tips in order to enjoy the grilled chicken breast and also have it juicy and super tasty at the same time. At the end of the day, in cooking nothing will stop you from preparing your favorite dish in the perfect way without any mistakes. So, let’s check out how to keep the grilled chicken breast juicy.

Tip#1: Don’t go for skinless chicken breast

When you are at the supermarket you directly go for buying a skinless and boneless chicken breast because you prefer to have a clean-cut, but when grilling, it is not the case because keeping the skin on the breast will definitely make the breast moist and juicy and of course you can remove the skin after eating you are not obliged to eat it.

Tip#2: Thaw your chicken

Never take the chicken breast from the refrigerator and toss it directly on the grill, because if you put a cold chicken breast on the grill it might be cooked unevenly which will make it dry and overcooked from the outside before cooking properly from the inside which will also ruin the whole texture. And if you are afraid of bacteria at room temperature it is safe to keep the chicken rest 30 minutes before grilling so you ensure proper grilling.

Tip#3: Marinate or brine

What turns the chicken from dry to juicy is the Brine effect. When it comes to bringing, you will introduce extra moisture to the chicken even before start cooking it, and with marinade, you will have the chicken even more tender. If you want to brine the chicken, the base will mainly be salt and water but if you want to marinade the story differs a little bit; you will be using herbs, fat, seasonings, and salt. This way, you will not only make the chicken tender but you will also add delicious flavor to it. In addition to that, studies have shown that marinating the meat will reduce the risk of formation of carcinogenic products that result from exposing the meat to high temperatures, so the marinade, in this case, will act as a barrier to prevent those harmful ingredients from forming.

Tip#4: Pounding out the chicken breast

Pounding or flattening the meat/chicken will add a great effect on grilling in a perfect way, by pounding the breast you are making it more tender which means that you are avoiding overcooking it which will makes it dryer. There is a specific way to flatten the chicken where you place the breast on a plastic wrap; you start in the center and then the edges. You do that gently until you have even thickness all over the breast. Make sure to have even thickness because if it is not equal on all sides you will affect the grilling temperature and time and thus might lead to overcooking.

Tip#5: Avoid grilling the chicken breast for too long

We all know that in the case of beef, you might love to have it medium rare, medium well, or the way you prefer, but in the case of chicken, you can’t follow that rule because having undercooked chicken will increase the risk of getting salmonella. So, you should always make sure to watch out for the proper temperature and time for grilling the chicken breast to avoid undercooking or overcooking which will make your chicken breast dryer and you don’t want that to happen.

Time and Temperature for grilling chicken breast: 20-25 minutes on 450 F. Always make sure you have a thermometer for accuracy.

Tip#6: Let the chicken breast rest

When you finish grilling, it is very important to give the chicken time to rest. By resting the chicken, you will allow the juice to be reabsorbed by the chicken and keep it moist and more flavorful. In the case of chicken breast, it is enough to rest it 5-10 minutes using foil but make sure not to cover it tight because this will let the juices get out of the chicken rather than remaining inside.

Tip#7: Add your sauces

If you doubt having a full juicy chicken breast after grilling, it’s better to prepare a suitable sauce aside because this will definitely add more juice and moisture to the chicken, and also you will be adding flavor and turning your dish into a more delicious one.

Tip#8: Don’t add barbecue sauce before grilling

Some people prefer having barbecue sauce with chicken but if you are one of them make sure not to add the sauce at the beginning of grilling because barbecue sauce contains sugar, sugar will react with heat and form that brown color which will give you a fake indication that your chicken is done so you will fall into the mistake of undercooking that will affect the whole process flavor-wise and health-wise. So make sure to add the sauce at the end of grilling like 1-2 minutes before removing the chicken from the grill.

So to wrap it up, grilling chicken breast is not that easy and simple because any mistake that you might do will ruin the whole flavor and texture of the chicken, so make sure to follow all those tips to guarantee to have the juicy texture of the chicken breast especially because it has low-fat content which will make its flavor not delicious as much as thighs for example. Moreover, you should benefit from the chicken breast on the grill because chicken breast is the healthiest component in the chicken since it is very low in fat and very high in proteins.