How do you make grilled chicken that isn't dry?

Question

I want to grill chicken breasts for sandwiches. Does anyone know of a good marinade or trick to make them flavorful and juicy? Mine normally just end up dry.

Answer 1

Marinate them, with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, spices...
Leave them overnight whenever possible..

This is a basic marinade, you can use almost anything your imagination indicates to marinade but make sure to use an agent such as lemon that will "cook" the meat a bit so that gets soft...Leave it covered

When you cook it, maybe you need to turn the heat a little higher, and as soon as you see that a little juice starts coming out from the top, you need to turn them around...

Also you could cook them inside alluminium foil as this normally keeps the moisture

Answer 2

I usually brine the chicken breasts first. Got the idea from my Mom, who always brined our thanksgiving turkey. Just dissolved 1/4 cup of kosher salt and 2 Tablespoons of sugar in about 1 quart of hot water. Stir it until the salt and sugar is completely dissolved and let it cool. Once the mix is cool, soak the chicken breasts in the solution for a couple of hours (more if you're using bone-in chicken).

When you take the breasts out, make sure you rinse them under cold water to remove any excess brine. You can add any kind of marinade after this, but I would stay away from anything with too much salt, since the chicken will be well salted at this point. But a bbq sauce or grill seasoning would be fine.

Cook as usual. I've heard the "low and slow" method works best, but I've had them turn out just fine when I grilled them quickly on high or med-high heat. Just don't overcook them.

Answer 3

The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken
(Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients 2 chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each), quartered


Brine: 2 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a large knife
4 sprigs fresh thyme
The Ultimate Barbecue Sauce: 1 slice bacon
1 bunch fresh thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions For the brine, combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme in a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat a 2-count of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add your thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.

Preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a non-stick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid way, and cook for a total of 15 minutes. Then brush the chicken with the sauce and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 10 more minutes. Serve with extra sauce.

Answer 4

My very favorite thing to do is coat them in stone-ground mustard and grill them (for boneless/skinless it's 16 minutes on medium heat, then 8 minutes on the other side). It sounds like they'd be spicy, but they aren't. I sometimes add a little horseradish so I can GET some spice!

The trick is not to overcook them.

Answer 5

KEEP IT COVERED! I was not the best cook, then I got pots with lids on them.

Also try to mix chicken boulion in with 1/4 cup of water to give it a real "chicken" flavor.

Answer 6

Just get thick ones and dont over cook them. Any marinade will probably produce the same results as long as they are not overcooked.

Answer 7

Coat them in a layer of mayo before grilling and always remember to turn your meat with a set of tongs, never a fork, so the juices don't drip out!

Answer 8

Put your chicken in a pan with water and let it cook for 5 min. than take it out and if you have a modern grill....you can let it get gold on top than you can eat it....its very good!

Answer 9

you should never use bbq on boneless brests.....they will stil be dry. use italina dressing or go to aldi's and get their garlic and herb marinade.....stick in a bag for a day or so with some chicken and grill it up........mmmm

Answer 10

Don't cook too fast as this dries the chicken out. sprinkle with sage and just grill.