5 Biggest Grilled Chicken Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- by Omaha Steaks
- Last updated May 11, 2023
Say goodbye to charred, tasteless breasts and underdone chicken thighs. If chicken is one of your backyard BBQ favorites, here’s the info you need to avoid five common grilled chicken mistakes. Get perfect results every time with these simple tips.
Summer grilled favorites include burgers, hot dogs and chicken. We’re big fans of a perfect grilled chicken sandwich for a quick weeknight meal. And, a gourmet grilled chicken recipe is a treat to prepare for your guests or just for you!
How to Fix Common Grilled Chicken Mistakes
However, for some reason, making perfect grilled chicken is a challenge. We’ve compiled the five biggest mistakes people make when grilling chicken and the solution to each of these challenges.
Mistake #1: Not Knowing the Right Cooked Temperature for Chicken
Overcooked chicken tastes terrible. Undercooked chicken is unsafe. Knowing the proper temperature for cooked chicken is important and not knowing the answer leads to grilling mistakes. Whether you’re cooking Butcher’s Cut Air-Chilled Chicken Breasts or Air-Chilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, the key to perfect results is temperature.
The USDA recommends that you grill chicken so that the internal temperature reaches 165 ºF. And the only way to know this is to place a good food thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken while not touching the bone or fat part of the piece of chicken.
Another great indicator that the chicken is correctly cooked is that the juices within the chicken run clear. But only cut the piece of chicken after you have taken it off the grill. {click here for the USDA guide}
Mistake #2: Cooking Too Hot, Too Quickly Leads to Undercooked Chicken
This is the second most frequent mistake that many grillers make. There is a simple and easy way to solve the issue with grilling chicken too hot, too fast and therefore winding up with undercooked chicken. The best way to deal with this issue is make sure that your piece of chicken isn’t too thick.
Cut thick chicken breasts lengthwise and then place the chicken on the grates of the grill. You can cook your chicken on direct heat, but don’t go too hot on the grill. You’ll burn the outside (think it is done) but still have raw meat on the inside.
Mistake #3: Turning Chicken for Grill Marks and Getting a Flare-Up Instead
To get nice grill marks and prevent flare-ups, make sure that you keep an eye on the part of the chicken that you are grilling. Once it turns white, flip the chicken to the other side. You only want to flip once when cooking, to ensure even cooking and not dry out the meat.
Mistake #4: Ending Up with Hard, Dry Chicken
This is the number one complaint when grilling or chicken. No one wants to serve raw chicken to guests so we tend to overcook our chicken and then it is dry. There are many ways to keep your chicken nice and moist.
One great way is to marinate your chicken with some Italian dressing, brine or good marinades. Another great tip to keep your chicken nice and moist is to also make sure that your chicken is the same thickness throughout the piece of chicken so that it will cook evenly. Then, when one part is done, you know the whole piece is done.
Mistake #5: Chicken Sticks to the Grill
There is a simple and easy way to fix this mistake. Make sure that your grill grates are well oiled. Spray them with non-stick grill spray before you place any type of chicken on your grates.
Another easy way to prevent your chicken from sticking to the grill is to apply some oil to the actual pieces of chicken. By doing this, you’ll also add flavor to the chicken!
Ready to grill? Stock up on Omaha Steaks premium air-chilled chicken.
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