Have you ever attended a grill shindig where chicken is the star of the show and what you are served resembles eau d'ashtray or worse the bird is literally still raw. Bleck.
For some reason, people feel the need to char the heck out of grilled chicken, leaving it dry and literally unpalatable. But you eat it anyway to be nice.
And then there are those who remove the chicken from the grill too soon because they put the grilling sauce on way too early and now it's burning. Their solution...take the uncooked chicken off the grill... a very dangerous choice. There seems to be no middle ground.
However, if you want to serve the best and juiciest Grilled Chicken ever....follow these tips. I promise, no burnt pieces and no uncooked parts.
No one will believe you are not a grill master.
Using this method, the chicken remains so juicy you won't be able to stop eating it. Make sure you take a nibble of the skin, it's to die for.
The Best Grilled Chicken....Ever
For the Dry Rub:
1 Tablespoon seasoning salt, any brand
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chile powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
For the Basting Sauce:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon oil (I used a roasted garlic olive oil but any kind is fine)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Juice of one lemon
One drop liquid smoke, optional (no more than a drop, it's concentrated)
Other Ingredients:
One 4 lb. split-fryer chicken (or one whole chicken cut in half)
Your favorite grilling sauce
First, I always buy a split fryer, a whole chicken that has been cut in half. I never grill different sized, individual pieces, it's too difficult to vary the cooking times and the pieces dry out too easily. Forget them. A split fryer is the answer to your grilling prayers or buy a whole chicken and cut it in half yourself.
Next, make a dry rub. You do not want a dry rub with sugar in the list of ingredients. It will burn. The dry rub should be spread on the chicken, under and on top of the skin and in every nook and cranny. Do this three hours prior to grilling.
Also, bring the chicken to room temperature. You do not want to put iced cold chicken on the grill. Trust me.
Preheat the grill to very high heat, about 500 degrees. I then turn the middle burner completely off and place the chicken in there while lowering the other two burners, bringing the temperature to 350 degrees.
Next, baste the chicken and close the grill. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes turn the chicken over and baste again. Repeat this step every 15 minutes for a total of one hour. At the last basting, let the chicken cook for only five minutes more.
Using your favorite grilling sauce, baste both sides of the chicken.
After basting with the sauce close the grill and cook for only five minutes. Not longer, this is when the chicken will burn. Make sure you have washed your baster or are using a new one to prevent any contamination from residual raw chicken.
Let the chicken rest for at least five minutes before cutting into it.
Cathy is currently in the development stages of her vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living. She lives with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.