Friday, July 15, 2011

Perfect grilled chicken!

Glory, glory, hallelujah!  Thanks to the internet, I have finally FINALLY figured out how to grill chicken breast without it turning into tough, stringy, dry pathetic-ness! I use a gas grill, so here are the instructions:

Brush a little oil on the grill before turning it on. (I use olive oil.) Turn grill on high and let it get good and hot.  Then, turn the heat down to medium. 

Flatten your chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer or mallet or whatever the heck those things are called—1/2 inch is the perfect thickness.  Season the suckers with a little salt and garlic powder if you haven’t already marinated them with something else.

Place the chicken breast on the grill for two minutes.  Rotate the chicken forty five degrees (don’t flip it over) and grill for another two minutes.  THEN, flip the chicken over and repeat the two minutes/rotate/two minutes thing.  This sears in the juices and keeps the chicken tender.  I never have a meat thermometer but here’s how to test for doneness—if you press the chicken and it feels mushy, it’s not done.  If it has no give, it’s overdone.  If it springs back slightly—voila—you’ve got cooked chicken.

I know that’s not terribly scientific, but it works for us.  If you’re paranoid about that kind of thing, get your thermometer and make sure the chicken registers at least 170 degrees in the middle of the thickest part.

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