How to Grill Chicken Breasts (so they turn out juicy every time!) – a how-to on grilling the perfect chicken breast EVERY TIME!
Raise your hand if you are ready for grilling season!!!!
I don’t know about you guys, but we grill A LOT in the summer. And more often than not, its chicken. We throw in the occasional pork chop or burger, but we do chicken quite a bit. I know grilling can be intimidating for a lot of people, so I thought I would break down how you cook several different kinds of chicken this summer – first up is chicken breasts!
How long does it take to grill chicken breasts?
Not very long at all! Approximately 15-17 minutes (or until they reach an internal temp of 160 degrees) – then let rest for a minimum of 5 additional minutes during which time the internal temp will continue to rise. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temp of 165 at the thickest part! (see recipe below for all the details!)
How do you grill chicken breasts without drying it out?
The key is to cook on direct heat (over flame) for the first 8-10 minutes (flipping halfway), but then switch to indirect heat for the last 5-7 minutes. ALSO – do not leave it on the grill until it reaches an internal temp of 165 (which is the internal temp chicken needs to be before it is safe to eat) – remove it from the grill when it is around 160 (between 155-160) and then let it rest off the grill. As it rests, it will continue to cook and the temp can continue to rise nearly 10 degrees! So imagine if you did leave it on the grill until it reached 165? It would continue to cook and might reach 175 before you eat it! It would be over-cooked and dry.
What temperature should I grill chicken breasts?
Medium heat – which is approximately 400 degrees.
Other recipes you might like:
I hope you guys found this helpful!! Can’t wait to see what you cook up!
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Love,
E
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How to Grill Chicken Breasts (so they turn out juicy every time!)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 chicken 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
How to Grill Chicken Breasts (so they turn out juicy every time!)
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine salt and pepper in small bowl
- Place chicken breasts on plate and sprinkle both sides with a generous amount of the salt and pepper mix.
- Heat grill to medium heat (approximately 400 degrees).
- Place chicken on direct heat (direct flame) and cook at medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side.
- Move chicken away from the direct heat (direct flame) so that it is cooking on indirect heat (maintaining the same grill temp) and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes (you don’t need to flip during this point because the chicken will cook as if it is in an oven) or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reads 160 on your meat thermometer.
- Remove from grill and let rest at least 5 minutes (the chicken will continue to cook during this time and the internal temp will continue to rise up to 10 additional degrees).
- Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees (at thickest part of the breast).
Keywords: grill, chicken breasts
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Sara Freilich says
Could you please tell me what you mean by “direct heat” (direct flame) and indirect heat?
I have a three-burner outside grill. The flames don’t actually touch the food that’s cooking on the grill grates. I grill my chicken with the lid closed so the grill temperature is maintained. When you say direct heat, do you mean to grill it over the lit burner, and for indirect heat, do you mean we should turn off a burner and just keep the chicken on the hot grill grate with the grill lid closed?? I’m very confused. Thanks in advance for clarifying
Erin says
Hi Sara! Great clarifying question: Direct Heat = place chicken directly over the flames/burner. Indirect Heat = (also called indirect grilling) means there is no heat source under the food. The burners are usually lit on either side of the grill and the food is placed in the center. The effect is similar to roasting or baking in the oven. Grill cover is, of course, closed during both methods. Hope that helps!