An easy grilling that will leave them raving. Good for a weekend family or company lunch or a weeknight. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.
Introduction
Here is a secret here that many already know. The secret is to grill skinless boneless chicken breasts well is thinner uniform pieces.
That is not what you get at your local supermarket. Those suckers can be huge and thick. You can't cook it well, and it won't do in a sandwich.
My Rating
This will be the go-to recipe for Saturday lunches.
🐓The Chicken
These are just a weekend family chicken sandwich recipe. I use skinless boneless chicken breasts but skinless boneless thighs would work, also. If you use thighs, cook to an internal temperature of 180.
Of course, trimmed and patted dry. See Chicken: To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for a detailed discussion about not rinsing.
The size will determine what you do with them.
- If about 8 ounces, then a little flatten with a meat mallet is enough, just even out the thickness some.
- If bigger, the filet into cutlets as I show below. They will be a little thinner and cook faster.
♨️The Grill
The grill surface temperature needs to be about 450 give or take a little. That is about medium or a bit more on most gas grills. See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill if you need help with this.
A little under is ok, but a lot over is not and will make hockey pucks.
👨🍳The Seasoning
Just salt and pepper is fine if that is what you want. I usually use my All Purpose Seasoning: 7:2:1 and 7:2:2. Sometimes I use Homemade Blackened Seasoning (see picture above.) Or use the seasoning your family enjoys.
🧂Brining
While it is always good to brine chicken for moisture, this is a quick recipes and I don't bother. If you do, then do not add more salt during the seasoning.
📖Grilled Chicken Recipes
How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks – The Art of Drummies
🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions
Clean, oil, and preheat grill to about 450° surface temperature.
Pat dry chick breast. Trim off any fat and bone. Cut any huge chicken breasts into fillets. A smaller breast can be evened out in thickness with a meat mallet.
Season to your taste. Just salt and pepper is fine. I use my 7:2:2 seasoning and some times my Homemade Blackened Seasoning.
Place over direct heat on the preheated grill with 450° surface temperature.
After about 4-5 minutes, flip the chicken. See the edged turning white. That is your clue that it is time to turn the chicken. Flip every 4-5 minutes.
Cook until an internal temp of 165°. The thinnest breasts were done in 12 minutes. Most in 15 and the thickest whole breast about 20 minutes. COOKING TIME WILL VARY.
📖Full Recipe
30 Minute Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- Salt and Pepper to Taste - 7:2:2 seasoning or Blackening Seasoning
Instructions
- Clean, oil, and preheat grill to about 450° surface temperature.
- Pat dry chick breast. Trim off any fat and bone. Cut any huge chicken breasts into fillets. A smaller breast can be evened out in thickness with a meat mallet.
- Season to your taste. Just salt and pepper is fine. I use my 7:2:2 seasoning and some times my Homemade Blackened Seasoning.
- Place over direct heat on the preheated grill with 450° surface temperature.
- After about 4-5 minutes, flip the chicken. When you see the edged turning white. That is your clue that it is time to turn the chicken. Flip every 4-5 minutes.
- Cook until an internal temp of 165°. The thinnest breasts were done in 12 minutes. Most in 15 and the thickest whole breast about 20 minutes. COOKING TIME WILL VARY.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- If small chicken breasts, then just even out the thickness a bit. Otherwise, make cutlets.
- Skinless boneless thighs would work, also. If you use thighs, cook to an internal temperature of 180°.
- Please get the grill surface temperature correct, or you can end up with hockey pucks.
- Season to your taste. I generally use 7:2:2 seasoning or blackening seasoning.
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
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Originally published September 5, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Gabe
Thanks so much for sharing this! It was exactly what I was looking for!
Sam Mormino
We did the oven baked chicken legs, they came out great.
Chris
Big Dan, grillin' in the rain :) (I noticed the droplets on the grill.)
Several great tips in this post. I like to butterfly larger breasts. I used to just pound them to an even thickness but sometimes you ended up with a result that was way to big for a sandwich. Filleting or butterflying are the way to go.
Inspired by eRecipeCards
Great tips. Sad how often boneless skinless is on sale and the better skin on, bone in version never is.
Ah well, as you said, as long as you know the limitations of the meat, you can prevail!!!
Excellent tutorial post!