Grilling is a popular cooking method that imparts a smoky flavor and enticing grill marks to meats and vegetables. However, the grilling process can be time-consuming, especially for thicker cuts of meat like chicken. Pre-cooking chicken in the microwave before grilling offers a potential solution to reduce grilling time and ensure even cooking. This comprehensive analysis delves into the benefits and considerations of microwaving chicken before grilling, providing insights to help you make informed decisions about your grilling practices.
Benefits of Microwaving Chicken Before Grilling
Pre-cooking chicken in the microwave offers several advantages that can enhance the grilling experience.
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Reduced Grilling Time: Microwaving chicken before grilling significantly reduces the grilling time required to reach a safe internal temperature. This can be particularly beneficial for thicker cuts of chicken, such as breasts or thighs, which can take a long time to cook through on the grill alone.
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Even Cooking: Microwaving chicken before grilling helps to ensure even cooking throughout the meat. This is especially important for larger cuts of chicken, which may have thicker and thinner sections that cook at different rates on the grill.
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Food Safety: Pre-cooking chicken in the microwave helps to reduce the risk of undercooking, which can lead to foodborne illnesses. By partially cooking the chicken in the microwave, you can be more confident that it will reach a safe internal temperature when finished on the grill.
Considerations for Microwaving Chicken Before Grilling
While microwaving chicken before grilling offers several benefits, there are also some considerations to keep in mind.
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Texture: Microwaving chicken before grilling can slightly alter the texture of the meat. The chicken may become somewhat softer and less juicy than if it were grilled alone.
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Flavor: Pre-cooking chicken in the microwave can reduce the development of flavorful grill marks and smoky aromas that are characteristic of grilled meats.
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Timing: It’s important to carefully monitor the microwaving time to avoid overcooking the chicken. Overcooked chicken can become dry and tough.
How to Microwave Chicken Before Grilling
If you decide to microwave chicken before grilling, follow these steps to ensure optimal results:
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Trim and Season: Trim any excess fat from the chicken and season it with your desired spices and herbs.
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Microwave: Place the chicken in a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high power for 4-5 minutes per pound, or until the chicken starts to cook on the outside.
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Grill: Immediately transfer the microwaved chicken to the preheated grill and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) for breasts and 180°F (82°C) for thighs.
Microwaving chicken before grilling can be a beneficial technique to reduce grilling time and ensure even cooking. However, it’s important to consider the potential impact on texture and flavor, and to carefully monitor the microwaving time to avoid overcooking. By following the recommended guidelines and weighing the benefits and considerations, you can make an informed decision about whether to incorporate this technique into your grilling routine.
With my shortened version, the rub and sauce will still have the classic BBQ flavor, but it will be extra juicy and delicious.
This is because the word “barbecue” is not the appropriate one to use. You are not barbecuing unless you are smoking the meat over very low indirect heat.
To ensure the flavors really penetrate the chicken, generously sprinkle it with the rub and, if at all possible, leave it in the refrigerator for a short while with a loose cover.
I have experimented with grilling the chicken for extended periods of time, brief periods of time, high heat, and low heat. Nothing seems to help with the dryness that normally happens.
Even when cooked this way, boneless chicken tends to dry out too much for my taste, so I only use them for stovetop cooking and oven roasting.
Microwaving meat for roughly half of its microwave-recommended time and then barbecuing it for about half of the total barbecue time works well, although microwave authorities disagree on the exact ratio of microwave to barbecue time. Next, microwave a whole, chopped chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, and then grill it on a barbecue for 20 to 30 minutes. As the duration of cooking varies based on the quantity of food, modify the microwave precooking time appropriately.
Parts of breast wings and thigh-leg quarters are occasionally included with chopped chickens. If these pieces are allowed to lie flat on the grill, they brown most evenly. Before microwave precooking, break the joint of the thigh-leg quarter. This will allow it to flatten easily. When precooking breast-wing pieces, protect the wings with aluminum foil to prevent overcooking. Remove the chicken’s wing from its breast gently before grilling it, then place it wing side down on the grill. Once the breast pieces are thoroughly cooked, gently fold each wing back to its original position.
One of the most common barbecue dishes, chicken, works well for micro-grilling because it keeps its firmness even when partially cooked. Unlike hamburgers, you can transfer it from the microwave to the grill without fear of it crumbling. However, the skin of the chicken softens during microwaving. Thus, it must be handled carefully when switching it from the microwave to the grill to avoid tearing the skin. Using tongs, gently grasp the meat or use a wide, flat spatula. Applying non-stick vegetable spray to the grill beforehand is also beneficial. Advertisement.
After grilling the chicken, test for doneness. Pieces should look browned and firm. Clear juices should come out of a tiny cut made close to the bone of one of the biggest pieces.
Never salt chicken before cooking. Because salt attracts liquids to the surface, microwaves may turn out uneven. It can cause the chicken to dry out. If using red barbecue sauce with sugar, apply it to the chicken right before cooking to avoid scorching.
How to microwave chicken.
FAQ
How do you pre cook chicken before grilling?
Are you supposed to microwave raw chicken?
Should chicken be cooked before grilling?
Should I let chicken warm up before grilling?
Can you cook chicken in a microwave before grilling?
Once the chicken has precooked enough, remove it from the microwave plate and then place it onto the grill. Parboiling the chicken takes a little more effort, but it is a great way to keep the chicken moist and tender before grilling so that it does not dry out too much and become tough or rubbery.
Can you cook chicken in the microwave?
The longer you leave it in the microwave, the less time it will need to be on the grill, so it is up to you how cooked the chicken gets in the microwave. Once the chicken has precooked enough, remove it from the microwave plate and then place it onto the grill.
Should you cook chicken before grilling?
Precook it in the oven ahead of time so you know it’s 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. How long do you boil chicken before grilling? Whole Chicken: Parboil a whole chicken for about 30-40 minutes.
Can you cook chicken on a hot grill?
No, never brown or partially cook chicken to refrigerate and finish cooking later because any bacteria present would not have been destroyed. It is safe to partially pre-cook or microwave chicken immediately before transferring it to the hot grill to finish cooking. How do you keep chicken moist on the grill?