Are you tired of dry, rubbery grilled chicken breasts? This reliable guide offers simple tips for grilling chicken breasts on a gas grill that will be juicy and flavorful. Learn how easy it is with these helpful tips about preparation, grilling temperature, timing, and seasoning. Just follow these simple step-by-step instructions.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken breasts—skinless, boneless 8-12 oz each.
Vegetable or Olive oil
Optional Brine—water, salt, brown sugar
Suggested Spices—garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐓Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill—Step-by-Step Photo Instruction
- ⏰How long to grill chicken breasts
- 👍Tips to grill them perfectly every time
- 🧂How to season chicken breasts
- 🤔Should I brine chicken breast?
- 🤔Common Mistakes to Avoid
- 🐓Chicken Breast Recipes
- 🍽️How to Serve
- ❄️Storage of leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- ⚕️Food safety
- 👨🍳Recipe
Featured Comment by Richard:
"Love your cooking directions, really helped me learn to grill…"
Most grill owners struggle with grilled chicken breasts. They get hockey pucks due to poor preparation, the wrong temperature, or timing—let's fix it.
Nothing special is needed for grilling chicken breasts; a grill, an instant-read thermometer (required), and a grill surface thermometer, while not required, is helpful.
👨🍳How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill—Step-by-Step Photo Instruction
1. Trim the chicken breasts of excess fat, flatten to ¾ inch if thicker.
2. Brine to add moisture, if you wish.
3. Clean and oil the grill grates. Preheat the grill surface to 450°F (medium-high).
4. Mix the seasoning.
5. Pat dry, brush with oil, and sprinkle all sides with a light coat of seasoning.
6. Grill at 450°F with a closed lid. Flip every 5 minutes until the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer is 165°F—about 20 minutes.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏰How long to grill chicken breasts
Chicken breasts will take about 20 minutes to cook to 165°F on a medium-high grill of 450°F.
Smaller chicken breasts will cook in about 5 minutes less. Chicken cutlets will cook even faster since they are thinner, as little as 10 minutes. Larger breasts will be longer.
Remember to never cook by time alone—cook to the final safe internal temperature of 165°. The exact time will vary by the grill and the thickness and starting temperature of the meat.
👍Tips to grill them perfectly every time
Try to cook chicken breasts of about the same size and thickness, while not required, it will make your life easier. If the breast is thicker than ¾ inch, thin it out. If you have time, brine it.
The best grill temperature for chicken breasts is about 450°F. I suggest a gas grill, but charcoal and other grills may be used if you can measure and control the surface temperature.
Get the grill surface temperature correct. Use a grill surface thermometer if possible. If you don't have one (you should), medium to medium-high heat will be about 400°-500° on most gas grills. Please see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for more discussion.
Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Less is not safe, and higher temperatures will dry the meat.
An instant-read thermometer is needed to get this recipe right—no guessing. Please do not cook by time, use a thermometer.
🧂How to season chicken breasts
I have suggested a chicken seasoning of paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper, which you can adjust. You may also use any combination of seasonings and herbs you love. You can add dried spices or fresh herbs to the brine. However, fresh herbs tend to burn during grilling.
You may use a marinade, like Lemon Chicken Marinade. Or try a dry rub like BBQ Dry Rub or Memphis Dry Rub.
Most commercial seasonings are heavy in salt and, if used with brined meat, will be too salty for most tastes.
🤔Should I brine chicken breast?
You can still get good results without a brine, but you will be consistently better with a brine. Also, if the breasts have been frozen, they lose moisture, and brine will help. Also, grilling is a dry heat and tends to dry.
To brine chicken breast, use 2 cups of water with a tablespoon of table salt and brown sugar. You can add other flavors, like garlic. I like to use a zip-top bag, but you can use a bowl if the chicken is covered.
With this brine, you can get reasonably good results in 20 minutes. You can brine for up to 1 hour, but more than that leaves too much salty taste to me. And over 2 hours for chicken can cause some mushy texture.
After brining, you should carefully rinse the salt off the surface. For food safety, try not to splatter and lean up with an antibacterial cleaner in the sink area. See Chicken… To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for more food safety discussion.
Do not use seasoning with salt if you have brined.
🤔Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not preheating the grill. The "grilling" of the breast as the grill preheats will dry it out without much cooking happening.
- Overcooking above 165°F. This will dry and toughen the chicken.
- Uneven thickness means uneven cooking, with part of the breast being overcooked before the entire breast is safe.
- Not resting the chicken after cooking for 5-10 minutes before serving. That time allows moisture that has moved out of the meat cells to reabsorb and improve the tenderness.
🐓Chicken Breast Recipes
Don't miss these unique grilled chicken recipes, like BBQ Chicken Breasts, Honey-Glazed Grilled Chicken Breasts, and Blackened Chicken Breasts. You may also learn to grill a whole chicken on the gas grill.
Try the reverse searing method with Reverse Seared Grilled Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts. And the kids will love Grilled Chicken Tenders.
If you have split (bone-in skin-on) chicken breasts, try Grilled BBQ Split Bone-in Chicken Breasts.
🍽️How to Serve
A garden salad is enough for me, but for a complete meal, try these hot grilled side dish recipes, like grilled carrots, grilled asparagus, grilled baby potatoes, or grilled mixed vegetables. Finish with a dessert of grilled pineapple, homemade Apple Crumb Pie, or Berry Crisp.
❄️Storage of leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen for 3 months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Then reheat covered in the oven. The microwave will affect the texture.
❓FAQs
If your chicken breasts are thicker or different in thickness, they need to be thinned to ¾ inch thick. Without flattening, the surface of the breast will be overcooked and dry before the center reaches a safe temperature.
To flatten, protect yourself and the surrounding area from splatter by placing the breast in plastic wrap or one-gallon freezer bags. Then, use a meat mallet, rolling pin, or the bottom of a heavy pan on a large cutting board.
Grilling chicken breasts with the lid closed is recommended. The lid may be open if the meat is under ½ inch thick. If ½ to 1 inch thick, either will work, but you will have more control with a closed lid. Any meat over 1 inch thick should always be cooked with a closed lid.
Grilled chicken breasts are healthy, with about 280 calories each, 8 grams of fat, and 1 gram of carbohydrates. So they will fit nicely in almost every diet, like low-calorie, low-fat, and even low-carb or keto diets.
According to the USDA, chicken is done at 165° internal temperature in the thickest part. A higher temperature will dry, and a lower temperature is unsafe. An instant-read thermometer is required to get this right.
Yes, with a very big "but." The frozen breast easily overcooks or burns its surface before the center reaches the safe 165°F. So, thawing is highly recommended. If you do grill chicken frozen, you must use an instant-read thermometer to be sure to reach 165°.
⚕️Food safety
Raw chicken and other poultry should be considered contaminated and handled with care. Wash your hands carefully before and after touching raw chicken.
We do not routinely wash raw chicken due to water splatter. See Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for more information.
You must cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165° for safety—see the USDA for more information. You need to check this with an instant-read thermometer.
Most recipes (including this one) include estimated cooking times. These are provided for planning purposes. You can not cook safely by time—you must use a thermometer.
👨🍳Recipe
How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill
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Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - .8-12 oz each.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil - or other vegetable
Optional Brine
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Suggested Spices
- ½ teaspoon granular garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Pick chicken breasts of about the same size.
- Trim the chicken. If the breasts are thick, use a meat mallet and flatten the thickest part of the breasts to ¾ inch.
- If brining, combine 2 cups cold water with 1 tablespoon of table salt and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Submerge the chicken in the brine for up to 1 hour. As little as 20 minutes will help a lot with moisture. Be sure to rinse off the salt carefully when done.
- Clean and oil the grill grates. Preheat the surface to a temperature of 450°F.
- You can use the seasoning of your choice. I suggest ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. If you are not brining, add ½ teaspoon kosher salt. If you use a different seasoning, do not add more salt if you have brined.
- Pat dry the breasts, then brush with a light vegetable or olive oil coat.
- Sprinkle all sides with a light coat of seasoning.
- Place over direct heat with a closed lid. Flip every 5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°—about 20 minutes most of the time, but check the temperature a few times early.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Getting good results without a good instant-read thermometer is almost impossible—extra points for a grill surface thermometer.
- If possible, the breasts should be about the same size. If they are thicker, flatten them to ¾ inches thick.
- Brine if you have time. Be sure to have the breasts completely covered by the brine.
- Use seasoning or marinade of your choice, but not with salt if you brine.
- My BBQ chicken breast recipe is referenced in the post.
- Cook over direct heat with a grill surface temperature of about 450° and the hood closed.
- Cook to 165°. Not higher (it will dry) or lower (not safe).
- Rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Smaller breasts or filets may cook faster.
- Good refrigerated for up to 4 days. Good frozen for 4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 7, 2019, and has been updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help with navigation.
Chuck Kunze says
Dan, Thanks for the article - I've clearly been grilling chicken breasts at too high of a heat. Buying a grill surface thermometer tomorrow!
I use a Thermapen for all my grilling .. do you pull chicken breasts at 165 degrees or 10 degrees shy of that (assuming it will rise while resting)?
Thanks,
Chuck K
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Chuck,
Welcome to the blog. I think we all grew up cooking chicken at too high of temp. You will be amazed at the difference. Most big box and hardware stores should have a grill surface thermometer.
I don't remove at lower temperature when there are safety issues involved. So I would go right to 165° in the thickest part. For things like steak, I may remove 3-5° early but not 10°,
Enjoy your chicken.
Dan
Steve Waltman says
I would also like to see this for electric grills. As an apartment dweller, fire codes forbid me from using something with a flame. Maybe it works similarly?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Steve,
You are the second person to ask recently. I did a fast Google and found that high is usually 500°-650° and medium high is listed as 400-450°. I would expect that to have some variation between brands but medium high seems to be the right setting for chicken and things like pork chops. And high for steaks and burgers. You may want to check your specific brand.
Dan
Richard says
Love your cooking directions, really helped me learn to grill and make it through the pandemic isolation!
Mike Malone says
This comment is not meant to be snarky or rude, but I have to disagree with the length of grilling time you suggest. My experience has been almost half that time. Otherwise, thank you.
Susan Hamilton says
I always start checking temps at 3rd turnover.
Chicken George says
I wholeheartedly agree. It's NEVER taken me more than 12 minutes total to grill chicken breast at the recommended temperature in this read. Flipping after 5 minutes and going another 5 to 6 minutes usually gets the job done, especially if you flatten them like in this article.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi George (and Mike),
I like to publish other opinions. YMMV as they say.
Reminder to readers:
Always know your grill surface temperature—never use the hood temperature
Be sure to get to a final internal temperature of 165°
Cooking at higher temperature will tend to dry more.
Keep your eyes open.
Dan
Kim says
Dr. Dan,
I just happened upon your blog. I am so excited. You think you know how to cook - the kids grow up and move out - its just the two of you.... Not so good. I've forgotten how to cook and still can't cook for just two. I still make spaghetti for 8.
I'm so excited to read all that you have posted and give it a try -especially the grilling parts!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Kim
Tom kaminski says
Dr. Dan,
Thank you for your site👏👏. It is informative and very useful as there is only my wife and I. I appreciate you thoroughness and simple approach. Thanks
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Tom,
Welcome to the site.
Glad you are enjoying the site.
Thanks for the note and let me know if you any questions.
Dan
Sue Shortley says
Hi Dr. Dan, open or closed grill? Thanks, Sue
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sue,
Welcome to the blog.
Closed. General rules: Things under 1/2 inch thick can usually be cooked open. 1/2 to 1 inch is usually closed and 1 inch or more is always closed.
I will add the wording.
Dan