Forget marination. The first step to grilling chicken to perfection is picking the best cut. Any meat connoisseur can go on and on about how important it is to pick the right cut of meat depending on the purpose. Nicks of Calvert suggests your choice of chicken should be pink, for starters, and says drumsticks, boneless breasts, and wings are good options. Jamie Olivers blog notes how the breast is usually the top choice when it comes to the anatomy of this versatile bird, but that doesnt mean everyone prefers them for their grilling adventures. Take Alton Brown, for example.
Brown takes his grilling seriously. While speaking with Salon on the subject of grilling season in 2020, the “Good Eats” star gave out some tips on how to do it right. According to him, it all starts with a simple grill (he owns several of those) and a trusty thermometer. When the outlet asked him what cuts of meat can be bought instead of chicken breasts, Brown revealed he wouldnt choose breasts at all. So what does make the cut?
His love for the fattier chicken thigh runs bone-deep. In fact, he has said his all-time favorite chicken dinner is thighs with smoked paprika, per a Food Network video on YouYube. “The reason why chickens have breasts is because we havent figured out how to make a chicken with four thighs,” he said. Not everyone can cook a chicken to perfection. That is not to say it cannot be done. Though it sounds like Brown might say it cannot be done with breasts but should be tried with thighs.
As for which parts of the chicken to use when grilling, there were a couple that Alton Brown sees as cuts above the rest. “I think that the thigh and the leg quarter is the best thing to put on a grill,” he told Salon. “And you can usually buy them in big packs because most people want to buy breasts.” Brown dislikes chicken breasts because they tend to “dry out fast on a grill.”
By Ashlie D. Stevens
Ashlie D. Stevens is Salons food editor. She is also an award-winning radio producer, editor and features writer — with a special emphasis on food, culture and subculture. Her writing has appeared in and on The Atlantic, National Geographic’s “The Plate,” Eater, VICE, Slate, Salon, The Bitter Southerner and Chicago Magazine, while her audio work has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered and Here & Now, as well as APM’s Marketplace. She is based in Chicago.
How to Make Alton’s Ring of Fire Grilled Chicken | Food Network
FAQ
What temperature is Alton Brown chicken done?
What grill setting to cook chicken?
Should I sear my chicken before grilling?
How do you cook chicken on a grill?
Cook the chicken over direct heat for three minutes to get gorgeous grill marks and then move to indirect heat, cover, and grill to 165°F before removing from the grill. Make the marinade. Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside. (Image credit: Joe Lingeman)
How long do you cook a chicken breast on a grill?
Pat the chicken breast dry to remove excess surface moisture that causes steaming instead of searing. Cook the chicken over direct heat for three minutes to get gorgeous grill marks and then move to indirect heat, cover, and grill to 165°F before removing from the grill. Make the marinade.
How long do you cook chicken on a gas grill?
Place the chicken on the cooler side of the grill (over the medium burners on the gas grill or the empty side of the charcoal grill). Cover and cook, flipping and moving the chicken around every 5 minutes, until the thickest piece registers 155°F on an instant-read thermometer. It will take 20 to 30 minutes depending on how thick the pieces are.
Should you brine chicken before grilling?
How to account for carryover cooking. The uneven shape of boneless, skinless chicken breasts makes them tricky to grill, but by just spending a few minutes pounding the thicker end thinner, you’ll both reduce cooking time and end up with evenly cooked meat. Brining is simply submerging the chicken in a salt-water solution before grilling.