As simple as it gets. Start grill, trim chicken, put on a grill. Then a few flips and brush of sauce. Easy to follow step by step instructions.
Editor's Note: Originally Published June 7, 2011. Updated with re-edited text and photos. The post has tripled in size to give a complete explanation and a couple of dog pictures.
I think most of us normal people can not get a split chicken breast grilled to 165 internal temperature without having texture or burning issues. It is hard to get great BBQ taste while the meat is still moist and tender.
So what is the secret of not burning the devil out of the outside of the chicken while getting the center done?
- Correct grill temperature and having a cooler zone.
- Trim the chicken correctly.
- Correct timing of the flipping.
- Brush with great sauce near the end of cooking.
- Use a meat thermometer to cook to the minimum safe internal temperature.
My Rating
Really good and really simple.
Pro Tips : Recipe Notes for Simple Grilled BBQ Split Chicken Breasts
1) Correct grill temperature and having a cooler zone.
The grill surface temperature needs to be 450 degrees. I usually give a range of 450-500 for chicken. Here I would prefer the range of 425-475. That is for the majority of the surface.
That is a little above medium on most gas grills and at medium for my grill. See A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for more details.
I also want one burner turned down some for a cooler zone. Lower 300s if you want to measure. This will be used for pieces that are getting too brown or smaller pieces that are cooking faster.
If you only have two burners turn it down at about 10-15 minutes into the cooking. If you have 3 or more burners, turn one down at the beginning of cooking.
2) Trim the chicken correctly.
Most of us (including me) have a hard time cooking those big chicken breasts we all get these days. The outside will burn before you can get the safe internal temperature of 165.
So cut them in half or thirds if they are big. Cut it, and you will have more normal serving sizes, more surface area for the tasty sauce. And a much easier time getting to the right internal temperature.
I also like to chop off the rib section. There is no meat and so thin that it will start to burn before the meat can cook.
We don't recommend rinsing chicken anymore. Pat dry only, Please see Chicken… To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for a more detailed discussion.
3) Correct timing of flipping.
Sounds kind of stupid but not really. We need to get the center of the meat to the minimum safe temperature of 165 without burning the skin. A little char is good, burnt is bad.
First, start with the skin side UP.
Next, we are going to do “uneven grill” meaning cook the meat/bone side facing the flame longer than skin side down.
Last, use the lower temperature zone we set up. If a thinner or smaller piece is getting done faster or the skin too charred, move it over to the lower temperature area.
4) Brush with great sauce near the end of cooking.
With a skinless breast, I will do a very light brushing of sauce at the beginning to get a "base" cooking. But sauce has lots of sugar and skin likes to burn.
Here I try to do a medium brush about 5 minutes before the end of cooking and then again the last few minutes. I try to keep skin side up once the sauce goes on.
Note that there are no salt, pepper, or other seasonings. We are using the sauce as the entire seasoning here. So a great sauce makes for great BBQ grilled chicken. Bad sauce means bad BBQ chicken.
Use the BBQ sauce of your choice. I love Gates BBQ of KC sauce but use Bulls Eye Original sometimes, which Cooks Illustrated likes. My Memphis BBQ Sauce would be the best choice but a little work.
5) Use a meat thermometer to cook to the minimum safe internal temperature.
You must use a meat thermometer cooking almost any meat, but it is required here. You will undercook and not be safe. Or overcook and have bad results.
I love my expensive thermopen instant-read thermometer but a $15 el-cheapo will work good enough. See Cooking for Two Shop for suggestions if you don't have one.
Other Split Chicken Breast Recipes
Crispy Baked Split Chicken Breasts
Crispy Grilled Split Chicken Breast
Preheat gas grill to a surface temperature of 450. That is medium on my grill but is usually medium-high on most grills. Clean and oil.
Pat dry chicken. Trim loose fat and rib section. Then cut the split chicken breasts into 2-3 equal pieces each.
A light brushing with oil and you're good to go.
Place the chicken pieces skin side up and grill for 5 minutes. Flip over with skin down for 4 minutes. Continue cycles of 5 minutes when skin is up and 4 minutes when skin is down.
If you only have two burners turn one burner down at about 10-15 minutes into the cooking. If you have 3 or more burners, turn one end burner down at the beginning of cooking.
With smaller pieces and pieces browning too fast, move them to the lower temperature area as needed.
When the chicken nears done, brush with BBQ sauce about 5 minutes before the end of cooking and then again the last few minutes. Grill until internal temp of 165. Total cooking time for me about 30 minutes.
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Simple Grilled BBQ Split Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 split chicken breast - AKA bone-in skin-on chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon oil - for brushing
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce of choice
Instructions
- Preheat gas grill to a surface temperature of 450. That is medium on my grill but is usually medium-high on most grills. Clean and oil.
- Pat dry chicken. Trim loose fat and rib section. Then cut the split chicken breasts into 2-3 equal pieces each.
- A light brushing with oil and you're good to go.
- Place the chicken pieces skin side up and grill for 5 minutes. Flip over with skin down for 4 minutes. Continue cycles of 5 minutes when skin is up and 4 minutes when skin is down.
- Create a cooler zone for cooking. If you only have two burners, turn one burner down at about 10-15 minutes into the cooking. If you have 3 or more burners, turn one end burner down at the beginning of cooking.
- With smaller pieces and pieces cooking or browning too fast, move them to the lower temperature area as needed.
- When the chicken nears done, brush with BBQ sauce about 5 minutes before the end of cooking and then again the last few minutes.
- Grill until internal temp of 165. Total cooking time for me about 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- Get grill surface temperature correct
- Trim and cut up chicken. Large pieces don't cook well.
- Keep skin up as much as possible to prevent burning.
- Have a cooler zone to move smaller pieces to while grilling.
- BBQ near the end to prevent burning.
- Done when the internal temperature is 165.
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
Originally Published June 7, 2011
SparkCo
This turned out great! I only have two burners so it turned it as low as i could and followed instructions. the smaller pieces got to 165 first but the largest were close. once i let it all rest for 10 minutes, they were all juicy and very good. thanks!
Michael Cord
clearest instructions in most appealing tone...thankyou!
Dan Mikesell
Hi Shane,
If I cooked this on my current grill, I would have the same issue. This was on my old grill and was correct five yrs ago. I apologize, and this recipe will be rewritten. I have split chicken in the house and be providing NEW instructions that will account for more variation in grills.
High on my old grill was 500 or a little less. New grill 650+ to 700. I will be providing surface temperature measurements as per my current practice. I'm adding a "patch" now warning about surface temps. I will also look back through older recipes that may have similar issues.
PS the "last updated" refers to the nutrition information, not the instructions.
vlizzle
I don't understand why people think that grilling split chicken breasts is difficult. For me, it is the EASIEST type of chicken to grill. There is NO need to flip the chicken over either. Grill it bone side down the entire time and the top will still brown nicely. I have a 4 burner grill. I heat all burners and then shut down the two end burners. I keep the middle burners on medium and I marinade my chicken in whatever I am in the mood for that day. Every so often, just brush your chicken with additional marinade and it will come out nice and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Usually takes 45 minutes for me and then I let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Mother Rimmy
Great tips for grilling the perfect chicken. I'm a big chicken fan, so when everyone else is grilling steak, I make sure I have some chicken on the grill.
Drick
now that's some good looking chicken, grilled to perfection... nice to see so many grilling posts, just outstanding
- thanks for stopping by and do try those burgers, they are some kind of good....
Jeffrey and Juli
Chariton is just down the road from us! You must have taken the hot weather with you, because it's been in the mid-70's for the last couple of days. Raining like all get-out, though. The road we take through Carlisle is on its way to getting flooded over in one low spot.
We saw our daily viewers (not page views) increase from 50 a day on average to 180-200. I thought maybe Blogger was making a mistake! But I don't see anything on the forums.
Maybe there's something to that recipe reformatting after all! I think you may be right, we're getting a second-hand benefit from your blog, as well as several other blogs.
Dr Dan
The chicken was right down my alley, very simple..
I don't really know why but my traffic is up a lot the last several weeks. As for coming to your site, they are trying to escape me and you publish so frequently, you're at or near the top of the blog list most of the time.
Also off topic, I just got back for 4 day in Chariton and Des Moines. Boy was it hot.
Jeffrey and Juli
These look really great! I love a good barbecued chicken breast.
Offtopic: We've seen a HUGE number of people coming to us through your blog. Have you seen your hits spike radically? I've been trying to figure out what's different!
Thanks,
Juli
Christine's Pantry
Love chicken! Great recipe!