You’ve come to the right place if you’re wondering how long to grill chicken without drying it out.
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The length of time required to grill a chicken depends on its cut, grill temperature, and bone density.
For safety, flavor, and moisture preservation, different cuts of chicken need to be cooked on the grill for varying lengths of time.
Generally speaking, a chicken cut will take longer to cook the more bones it has. It will take longer to cook a cut with more bones, like a chicken wing or leg, than a boneless part, like a chicken breast.
The size and type of your chicken must be taken into account in order to cook it properly.
Start with the simpler pieces if you have little to no experience grilling chicken. It will be much simpler to grill thighs and legs than breasts.
It is also important to avoid cooking at temperatures that are too high because your chicken will overcook on the outside and remain raw on the inside, which can lead to a risk of a salmonella infection if you eat it.
Cooking your poultry as soon as you buy it is also a good idea. Chicken that has been frozen to keep it fresh will have a tougher texture.
It won’t harm to freeze it if you don’t have time to cook it right away, but if you want a juicy, tender piece of grilled chicken, cook it as soon as you can.
The temperature of your grill affects how long you should grill your chicken for. Grilling on low heat will take longer, while grilling at higher temperatures will take less time.
Let’s examine the various chicken parts and the timing and temperature requirements for grilling each one.
Knowing the different times and temperatures will help you cook within the proper window of time.
A moist, charred, and delectable meal for your family and guests should always be your priority.
Skinless, boneless chicken breast: 6–88–12 over direct medium heat (350 °F); chicken breast (with bones: 10–1230–40 over indirect medium heat (350 °F); boneless, skinless thigh: 48–10 over direct high heat (450 °F); thigh with bones: 30–40 over indirect medium heat (350 °F); chicken wings: 2–318–20 over direct medium heat (350 °F); whole chicken: 31/2–41/2
Note: The necessary grilling time may change if you change the chicken or add marinade or sauce to it.
How Long to Grill Different Cuts of Chicken
Cooking delicious food on the grill with chicken is a great idea, but timing the grilling of different chicken cuts can be challenging.
Here is a helpful guide that tells you how long to grill different cuts of chicken, including whole chickens, breasts, and thighs, so you can always get perfectly cooked meat!
How Long to Grill Whole Chicken
A whole chicken can be grilled in 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the bird, the grill’s quality, the local climate, and the amount of fat on the chicken.
A smaller bird will cook faster than a larger one. Throughout the process, it’s best to keep an eye on your chicken in case anything happens that could cause it to burn or overcook.
The ideal grill temperature for grilling a whole chicken is between 200 and 300 °F. Although it takes a long time to cook, the end result is perfect.
The best ways to grill whole chickens include laying them on their sides and using a set up to keep them upright while they cook.
Always check your chicken’s temperature before serving it.
For a whole chicken, fully bury the thermometer in the chicken’s thickest part. You can check various areas of the meat to ensure that it is fully cooked as an extra precaution.
Can Spatchcocking a chicken reduce its cooking time?
Spatchcocking, which involves splitting the chicken open at the spine and removing the rib cage and backbone, can shorten the cooking time. By thinning the meat, you can cook it more quickly because the heat can get inside more easily.
How Long to Grill Chicken Breast
A single muscle, a whole chicken breast, weighs between 5 and 8 ounces. The cooking time will depend on its size and thickness.
But grilling boneless chicken breasts over direct medium heat typically only takes 12 to 15 minutes.
The breasts should be turned around halfway through cooking to ensure even cooking on both sides and prevent burning.
It’s crucial to thoroughly clean and season your grill before cooking chicken breasts because they are skinless.
Bone-in chicken breasts will require more time to grill, probably about 25 minutes.
How Long to Grill Leg Quarters
The largest cuts, the legs and thighs, will take longer to cook than the breasts or wings.
The cooking time for chicken legs and thighs over indirect heat can range from 30 to 40 minutes, and you’ll need to turn them every 15 minutes or so.
Once cooked, you can grill the leg quarters for a short period of time over direct heat to obtain a crisp exterior.
Although chicken should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F because it contains bones and has dark meat, you’ll get better results by cooking chicken legs and thighs to a temperature of 180°F or 190°F.
At 165 °F, the meat is safe to consume. However, higher temperatures make these specific chicken cuts more flavorful and tender.
How Long to Grill Drumsticks
Typically, it takes at least 40 minutes to properly cook grilled drumsticks. There are two suggested methods for this cut.
Grilling it over direct heat at 450 °F is one method. Remember to turn the chicken every 5 minutes when using this technique to prevent burning. The second method is using indirect heat for 30 minutes. The final ten minutes of grilling it over direct heat should be used to brown it. It’s best to add sauce in the final 10 minutes of cooking to prevent burning.
Extend the internal temperature to 180°F or 190°F, like the leg quarters, to get the ideal tender juicy goodness.
How Long to Grill Chicken Wings
A simple weeknight dinner option is grilled wings. Cook them for 20 to 25 minutes on direct medium heat.
Start the procedure by leaving the wings inside the grill for three to four minutes with the lid closed. To cook the wings on all sides equally, you might have to turn them every few minutes.
You should check the wings if the internal temperature reaches 165 oF after 15 minutes of grilling.
The wings should be perfectly browned but not burned. You want a light char on all sides, but not a deep char.
Read More >> How to Reheat Chicken Wings
Grilling Chicken: Temperatures, Thermometers, and Food Safety
Checking the internal temperature of your chicken is the first step in preparing a juicy, tender, and perfectly cooked chicken.
You can monitor the temperature in real-time with a good digital thermometer so that you never serve undercooked or overcooked chicken again.
Other techniques for determining doneness include examining the color of the meat or the juices.
However, a digital thermometer is highly accurate, fast, and reliable. Without you having to make any guesses, it can quickly tell you if your chicken is done or if it needs to cook for a few more minutes.
It’s the ideal method for checking the internal temperature of your grilled poultry without detracting from the appearance of the food. If you don’t already have one, visit your neighborhood supermarket or order one from Amazon.
Knowing the guidelines and internal temperature requirements for a perfectly grilled piece of chicken is the next step once you have your thermometer.
The Best Internal Temperature for Grilled Chicken
Heat the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C) and the juices run clear to ensure that it is fully cooked.
Making sure your chicken reaches this temperature will ensure that any harmful bacteria is killed and the chicken is safe to eat.
A fallback strategy is to make sure there is no pink meat left in the chicken’s center. The result will be a delicious slice of chicken meat that is safe to eat and is moist, tender, and juicy.
The only way to know when chicken is done is to check the internal termaturation.
Other techniques, such as solely observing whether the skin is puckered or whether the juices are clear, are unreliable and only serve as good indicators when combined with a thermometer reading.
To obtain an accurate reading, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. You’re good to go as long as it registers at least 165°F.
What Is the Outcome of an Overcooked Chicken?
Compared to red meat, chicken is one of the leanest meats and is less forgiving. Lean meats tend to dry out more quickly than other types of meat.
Overcooking chicken can result in it becoming tough, dry, and challenging to eat.
The skin of your chicken can become brown and crispy when cooked over high heat, but the meat will be tough and flavorless.
As your chicken cooks, check it frequently to make sure you’re not overcooking it. It’s better to repeatedly check the meat’s temperature than to overcook it by letting it cook for the amount of time you think it needs to.
What Happens if the Chicken Is Undercooked?
The internal temperature of cooked chicken should be 165 °F. It won’t be safe to eat if it doesn’t reach this temperature.
Other meats can be prepared to different degrees of doneness to suit individual preferences, but chicken can never be prepared rare. Undercooked chicken carries the risk of salmonella infection. It’s also unappetizing.
To effectively kill off salmonella and other bacteria that might be present in raw chicken, it is strongly advised to properly cook the chicken.
You can safely eat poultry that has reached a temperature of 165 °F or higher knowing that any potentially harmful bacteria have been eliminated.
You want your grilled chicken to taste as good as it can for you, your family, or your friends.
But if your chicken is undercooked, it will be mushy, bland, and soft. We are aware that you want to serve a perfectly cooked one!
About Average Grill Temperatures
Frequently, cooking instructions on food packaging will suggest that you cook your food at specific temperatures.
The instructions on the packaging for cooking chicken on medium heat are common. If you’re only pan-frying your chicken, these instructions make sense. But what does “medium heat” actually mean when grilling something?
How do you know when the heat is at medium if your grill doesn’t have low, medium, and high settings?
To ensure you’re grilling at the right temperature, use the wireless thermometer and the table of typical grilling temperatures below.
Do keep in mind that cooking chicken at an excessive heat or speed will result in burned skin and undercooked meat. Cook poultry at a medium temperature for a tasty, tender dish with crispy skin.
Do Thickness and Weight Affect Cooking Time?
It’s important to realize that the thickness and weight of the bird will affect the cooking time if you intend to grill an entire chicken. A large chicken will take longer than a small one.
Therefore, in order to calculate the chicken’s cooking time, it is crucial to know its weight and size.
A whole chicken should be cooked, on average, for 18 to 25 minutes per pound.
When cooking a whole chicken, heat must reach all the layers of meat, skin, and bones. This takes longer for thicker cuts of meat.
The duration will also depend on how far you are from the heat source.
Indirect heat will help chicken retain moisture while also shortening the cooking time. To avoid being caught off guard, be sure to estimate how long it will take to cook your particular chicken or chicken cut before you begin.
Direct or Indirect Heat — Which is Better
When grilling chicken, both direct and indirect heat have advantages.
Indirect heat is preferable for low-temperature cooking and maintaining the meat’s moisture, while direct heat works best for quickly cooking chicken and getting a nice sear on the outside.
Using a rotisserie rig or a two-zone fire, you can combine both techniques. You can cook your chicken using either of these techniques without drying it out.
You should think about how long you want to grill your chicken for and how much time you want to spend on it before choosing which method is best for you.
Also, consider the cut you’re grilling. Wings and drumsticks, for instance, cook well over direct medium heat. The bones of these cuts protect the meat’s thickest portion.
The best grilling method for whole chickens or leg quarters is indirect heat. To fully cook the chicken, they need to be cooked more slowly.
You can finish cooking the chicken after about half the cooking time or move it to direct heat to brown the skin.
Read More >> Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
Does Marinating, Brining, or Rubbing Affect the Cooking Time?
Adding a wet or dry marinade may give you the extra flavor you’re looking for, but the moisture it adds may make the grilling process take longer.
However, grilling time for boneless chicken cuts is unaffected by marinating, brining, or rubbing. The piece will take the same amount of cooking time.
Use a dry rub like salt and pepper if you are unable to wait any longer. These won’t lengthen the grilling time but will aid in skin drying more quickly.
The straightforward flavors of salt and pepper go well with grilled food.
A little thyme or rosemary, either fresh or dried, can also add a unique twist.
You can spice things up with your preferred marinades, barbecue sauces, or by adding an additional layer of flavor like herb butter once you’ve mastered grilling chicken without it sticking or drying out.
Never forget that the goal is to keep it interesting, so resist the urge to stick exclusively to one way to prepare chicken.
Have fun, experiment with different methods and dishes, and play around!
Final Thoughts on Grilling Chicken
For good reason, chicken tops the list of lean cuts because it is delicious, quick to prepare, and inexpensive. There are countless ways to cook chicken, but grilling it is one of the most common.
Everyone enjoys grilling chicken, but most people struggle to get the perfect piece every time. For me, a perfectly cooked piece of chicken is simple to achieve because it is juicy, flavorful, and doesn’t dry out.
A piece of chicken that has been grilled to perfection will have a balanced flavor.
However, grilling chicken can be tricky. It’s fairly simple for novice grillers to dry out the chicken and make it taste like charcoal briquettes or to undercook it.
Grilling chicken involves more than just throwing it on the grill and waiting for the outside to brown.
The fact that grilling perfect chicken is not a difficult task is its best feature. Once it’s on the grill, it only needs a little preparation and perseverance.
Use fresh chicken whenever possible, and if you want more flavor than white meat can provide, choose chicken thighs.
Take a deep breath, unwind, and prepare some grilled chicken dishes utilizing our suggestions and tricks. Happy grilling!.
Learn More About Grilling
Check out these additional useful resources if you want to learn more about grilling!
FAQ
How long does chicken take to grill at 300?
The recommended temperature range for your grill is 200-300 °F (93-149 °C), whether you grill it upright or on its back. Depending on the size of the bird and how well your grill maintains temperature, the total cooking time will be between one and two hours.
How long does it take to cook chicken breast at 300?
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put the chicken in a shallow pan on a broiling rack. Apply 1 teaspoon of olive oil to each breast, then generously rub in the herb mixture. Bake 40 minutes, covered with foil, basting occasionally.
How long does it take to grill chicken breast at 350?
According to FoodSafety, cook boneless, 4-ounce chicken breasts for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. gov.
Can you BBQ chicken at 300?
A Quick Low and Slow Cook The typical range for cooking on a barbecue is 200–300°F (93–149°C). A whole chicken is a tender, leaner cut of meat than traditional BBQ cuts, so typically that means a lengthy, slow cooking process.