Temperatures By Chicken Piece
Chicken is resilient and a wide range of grilling temperatures can be used. However, for the best results, chicken should be cooked in a two zone grill setup: one side of the grill should be on medium-high heat and another at just medium. On a gas grill, aim for a temperature of 350 to 450 degrees . On a charcoal grill, only pour the preheated briquettes on the half of the grill.
Safety Guidelines For Leftovers
- The “danger zone” for food is between 40 F and 140 F . Bacteria can grow rapidly between those temperatures. Leftovers must be refrigerated within 2 hours of taking it from the heat source or refrigerator. If the temperature is above 90 F, cold dishes must be refrigerated within 1 hour.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in shallow containers so it will cool quickly.
- It’s important to keep hot food above 140 F if you must keep it warm for any length of time . Use a chafing dish, slow cooker, or warming tray to keep food above 140 F .
- Nestle containers with cold food, such as salads, in containers with ice, to keep it at or below 40 F .
Direct Or Indirect Heat Which Is Better
Both direct and indirect heat have their advantages when grilling chicken.
Direct heat is best for cooking chicken quickly and getting a nice sear on the outside, while indirect heat is better for low-temperature cooking and keeping the meat juicy.
You can also use both methods by using a two-zone fire or a rotisserie rig. Both of these methods will help you cook your chicken evenly without drying it out.
The best way to decide which method is best for you is to consider how long you want to grill your chicken and how much time you want to spend on it.
Also, consider the cut youre grilling. For example, drumsticks and wings do well on direct medium heat. The thickest part of the meat is shielded by the bones of these cuts.
Whole chickens or leg quarters are best grilled over indirect heat. They require slower cooking to penetrate the entirety of the chicken.
After about half of the cooking time, you can move the chicken to direct heat to brown the skin or complete the cooking process.
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How Long To Grill Chicken
Cooking chicken on a grill can take anywhere between 10 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the chicken and how hot your grill is.
There are a few factors to take into consideration when determining how long it will take to grill chicken. How big the chicken pieces are or if you are grilling a whole chicken?
Whether it has the bone in it or not, and the temperature at which you are grilling are also factors to consider. Also what kind of grill are you using, gas or charcoal?
Generally, smaller pieces will cook faster than larger pieces. Additionally, bone content will affect cooking time. The higher the temperature of the grill, the less time it will take for the chicken to cook.
Temping A Rotisserie Chicken
To temp a rotisserie chicken, turn off the rotisserie and use a Thermapen® Mk4 to check both the breast and the legs. Its so easy. Start temping when the chicken has been cooking for about 1215 minutes per pound, then about every 5 minutes after that. If the chickens lowest temperature reads 157°F , get that chicken off the grill! The meat will continue to carry-over cook for a couple minutes, so get it off the heat before 160°F or the breasts will dry out. The skin will be crisp, the meat will be juicy, and it will be delicious. Carve it up and dig in!
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How To Grill Chicken:
1. Preheat the grill on high for 10-15 minutes, then use your grill brush to scrape any previous remnants off your grates.
2. the fully thawed chicken breasts. A clean and easy way to marinate the chicken is to place it in a large plastic zip top bag, add your marinade and make sure your entire chicken breast is covered. In this particular instance, I used olive oil and added a few fresh basil leaves.
3. Here’s how long to grill chicken on a gas grill. Once you have preheated your grill for 10-15 minutes, prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat at 425-450°F and get your iGrill probes inserted into the chicken.
4. Place marinated chicken breasts on grill over direct medium heat.
How Do You Grill Chicken Breasts Without Drying It Out
The key is to cook on direct heat for the first 8-10 minutes , but then switch to indirect heat for the last 5-7 minutes. ALSO do not leave it on the grill until it reaches an internal temp of 165 remove it from the grill when it is around 160 and then let it rest off the grill. As it rests, it will continue to cook and the temp can continue to rise nearly 10 degrees! So imagine if you did leave it on the grill until it reached 165? It would continue to cook and might reach 175 before you eat it! It would be over-cooked and dry.
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Homemade Seasoning For Chicken Drumsticks
To make a definitive crunchy, tasty, and scrumptious barbecued chicken leg formula, we profoundly recommend following the method perfectly! This is what youll require for the dry rub:
- Half cup of olive oil
- Two teaspoons of black pepper
- Two cups any BBQ seasoning
- Vegetable oil for grill according to the need
Looking To Grill Other Cuts Of Chicken
Ive got your back! Heres how to grill chicken drumsticks and thighs:
For chicken drumsticks:
- To grill: preheat your grill to medium high and lightly oil the grate. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 8 minutes, then flip, brush with the reserved marinade, and grill for an additional 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over one last time, brush again with the remaining marinade, and cook for 5 more minutes, or until no pink remains in the center of the chicken.
- To bake: preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a oven-safe rack on a large baking sheet and grease with nonstick cooking spray so that the chicken doesnt stick to the pan. Place the drumsticks on the pan with the thicker part of the drumstick to the outside. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through.
For boneless skinless chicken thighs:
- To grill: preheat your grill to medium high and lightly oil the grates. Cook your chicken thighs for 6-8 minutes per side, flipping once. When the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F your chicken is done.
- To bake: preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and bake your chicken thighs for about 25-30 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165.
For skin-on chicken thighs:
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Dress It Up With Sauces
So, now we have beautifully moist and evenly cooked chicken breastsno small achievement. But for all of this work, in my opinion, chicken is still rather dull on its own, so let’s pull out the sauces.
I smothered these particular breasts in an arugula pesto, which added a nutty, peppery kick. Some other flavorful toppers to consider: mango-habanero barbecue sauce, cilantro pesto, or chimichurri.
You can also introduce flavor with more complex brines, like an apple brine, or the nice spice rub on these blackened chicken breasts.
No matter how you gussy up your chicken, all of it will do little to help a poorly grilled breastwhich should be something we no longer have to tolerate, ever.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in 2012. It has been updated with new information based on further testing.
Never Slice Into A Dry Chicken Breast Or Battle With An Overcooked Chicken Thigh This Complete Guide For How Long To Grill Chicken Will Help You Achieve Juicy Tender And Flavorful Results With Any Cut Of Chicken
Karla Walsh is a Des Moines, Iowa-based freelance writer, editor, and former fitness instructor who balances her love of food and drink with her passion for fitness. She holds a double major in magazine journalism and kinesiology from Iowa State University. She also passed her level one sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers, received her personal trainer certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and group fitness instructor certification through the Athletics and Fitness Association of America . She’s covered health, food, fitness, psychology, beauty, and beyond for more than 12 years. In addition to BHG.com, her writing has been published in AllRecipes, Runner’s World, Shape and Fitness Magazines, as well as on EatingWell.com, Shape.com, ReadersDigest.com, TheHealthy.com, Prevention.com, WomensHealthMag.com, and more.
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the bestproductslearn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
Check out our complete guide for how to grill chicken, then use our go-to guide for how long to grill chicken so you can serve the juiciest meat ever.
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Estimated Times For Roasting Whole Chickens
Broiler/Frying Chickens
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds400 F 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds400 F 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds375 F 1 1/4 to ` 3/4 hours.
- 3 to 4 pounds375 F 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours.
Capon
- 5 to 8 pounds375 F about 20 minutes per pound plus about 15 minutes standing time.
How Long Should You Grill Chicken Breasts
Chicken should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be consumed safely, warns FoodSafety.gov. The safest way to ensure your chicken is properly cooked is to use a meat thermometer and check the innermost part of the thigh, innermost part of the wing and thickest part of the breast.
Grill manufacturer Weber recommends grilling chicken breasts over medium heat between 425 and 450 degrees Fahrenheit and grilling for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
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Do Chicken Wings Digitally
- A large, backlit LCD display for clear visibility for grilling outdoors in the evening
- A wide programmable temperature range for a variety of meats, fish, and poultry
- Celsius/Fahrenheit selector
- A receiver that Receiver flashes and beeps when the temperature goes above the programmed temperature
- Timer and temperature memory feature that reactivates even when the unit is off
- A rubber sleeve case
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Place buttermilk, flour, and egg in a large mixing bowl
Mix until the mixture is the consistency of pancake mix
Add in salt and pepper
Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl
Dredge chicken wings in buttermilk mixture and then in breadcrumbs
Heat oil in a large skillet
Place chicken wings into the skillet six wings at a time
Insert ThermoPro TP08 probe into a wing to test cooking temperature
Fry in oil until ThermoPro TP08 probe readout indicates doneness
Remove wings and place on paper towels before serving
Prepare With A Meat Pounder
With a rolling pen or meat pounder, gently pound the chicken on a counter or table surface. Do this until theyre about half an inch thick across the breast. Do this for each breast.
Why do we do this? Well like with a lot of cooking methods, one of grillings biggest challenges is cooking meat evenly through. If we make our meat uniform in thickness then we help prevent the issue, while also making it easier to eat and cut.
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The Key To Perfectly Grilled Chicken:
Precook it in the oven ahead of time so you know its fully cooked and ready for the grill. Cooking it ahead of time also lets you cook it slowly, which yields nice, juicy, and tender meat. And, it gives you time to put your feet up during grilling season because most of the work is done beforehand.
Required Time And Temperature For Grilling Turkey
BBQ Grilled Turkey
Turkey Breasts
- Preheat grill between 350 – 375 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Cook for 60 – 105 minutes, flip halfway through. Internal temperature should be between 165 F and 175 F
- Resting time 15 minutes
Whole Turkey
- Preheat grill between 350 – 375 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Cook for 120 – 180 minutes, flip halfway through. Internal temperature should be between 165 F and 180 F
- Resting time 15 minutes
Turkey Thighs & Drumsticks
- Preheat grill between 350 – 375 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Cook for 90 – 120 minutes, flip halfway through. Internal temperature should be between 165 F and 180 F
- Resting time 15 minutes
Boneless Turkey Roll
- Preheat grill between 350 – 375 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Cook for 90 – 120 minutes, flip halfway through. Internal temperature should be between 165 F and 175 F. Generally speaking with turkey, and you can go for a range between 165 F – 175 F with the amount of time being grilled between 60 – 110 minutes over direct heat
- Resting time 15 minutes
Other Tips and Tricks for Grilling Turkey
Know the differences between ground beef and ground turkey.
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Prepare Your Chicken Breasts For Grilling
Serious Eats
Chicken breast is a very unforgiving meat. As soon as it tips over its ideal temperature, it will almost immediately begin drying out. The physical shape of the breast isn’t kind in this respect, as its uneven height means the bulky center cannot be cooked through without the thinner portions of the meat overcooking first.
There’s an easy solution to this problem: Even out the height. This involves giving the chicken a nice beating, which is also great for relieving any pent-up aggression.
I like to put the chicken in a resealable plastic bag for the poundingthe thick plastic won’t break when whacked, and the sealed bag ensures chicken juice doesn’t splatter all over the kitchen.
Serious Eats
Once it’s safely in a bag, I go at it with a heavy skillet or a meat pounder, bashing the thicker parts of the breast until they match the height of the thinnest part. But don’t go too thin here keep the height around three-quarters of an inch. A chicken breast that’s pounded out too thin will be more susceptible to drying out over high heat.
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Now quickly before we delve deeper into some more details about this chart, theres a valuable trick that differentiates a regular BBQ from that which is done by a pro the resting time.
You will observe in the chart a resting time required to follow before serving your meat and may wonder if this is necessary at all. It is super necessary as there is a thin line between great tasting BBQs and just an okay tasting BBQ. A part of this line lies between cooking and its serving which is its Resting Time.
Eating the food right after it has been removed from the fire prevents you from enjoying a balanced and complete taste as compared to it being rested.
The resting time allows the meat to sit in its generated heat from the cook for a few minutes. In the process, the meat finalizes its cook, locks in juices, tastes, flavors, and cools it down slightly making it just very ready to bite in with royalty.
Now, to the beginning of the infographic and lets take a majestic walk through the items on the list.
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Does The Weight And Thickness Make A Difference In Cooking Time
When it comes to cooking a whole bird, size definitely matters. The heavier the bird, the longer it takes.
A good estimate is 18 to 25 minutes per-pound.
The heat must penetrate the skin, the meat and finally the bone before its properly cooked through. The thicker the meat, the longer it takes for the heat energy to transfer.
Grilling Different Types Of Food
Grilling is probably the better way to cook any food, it allows you to be as creative and adventurous as you want to be, and leaves you with some of the tastiest food possible when done correctly.
Stick to the core fundamental techniques and use your prior knowledge and experience to guide you into taking your BBQing skills to the next level.
We’ll make sure to cover all the different foods possible when talking about different cooking times and temperatures, so rest assured that you’ll have a great idea on where to start when beginning your BBQing journey .
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Key : Pound Your Chicken
One of the keys to moist juicy chicken breasts is to pound the breasts flat before cooking. People often think of boneless, skinless breasts as ready to cook, but, when it comes to grilling, thats just not true. A chicken breast is a thermal-gradient nightmare! Look at this illustration of the thermal gradients in an un-pounded chicken breast. The thick part will be much cooler in the center than the thin bit at the end. By the time the center is up to temperature, the edges will be super dry.
In tests we have conducted in the past, we measured the gradients within chicken breasts by measuring temps at different locations. We found that in unflattened breasts, the temperature swing from center to edge could be as wide as 53°F . However, flattening out the chicken also flattens out the gradients:
By pounding out the chicken breasts to a relatively even thickness, that gradient was pushed down to 19°F . The more even the thickness of the meat, the more uniform the heat transfer rate will be. The result is a more homogeneous final temperature. Flattening out the meat is a step that just makes sense and has a real impact.
Kenji with seriouseats.com has explained how flattening chicken breasts yields a superior finished product: