Say goodbye to bland, dried out grilled chicken and hello to this juicy, flavor packed version.
Grilled chicken has never tasted better thanks to this recipe featuring our amazing Simon & Garfunkel Rub! As with most chicken recipes, I recommend you cut the bird into parts before grilling: The breasts, the wings, and the thigh-drumstick combo. They are different thicknesses which means they will cook at different rates. By cutting them apart you can monitor each part individually with your trusty reliable digital meat thermometer so nothing is overcooked or undercooked, just perfectly cooked. Overcooked chicken breasts are cardboard. Undercooked they are hazardous.
Getting chicken off at the right temp is the single most important thing to do to insure a great meal. Remove the white meat at about 160°F and let it rise to 165°F, the safe temp as recommended by USDA and Yours Truly (click here for more about ideal meat temps). Dark meat should go a little higher, about 170°F, not for safety, because dark meat can feel a little slimy if cooked under 170°F.
The easiest way to cut parts is with scissors, not a knife. They’re also great for snipping herbs, cutting pizza, butcher string, and many other tasks. Get sturdy stainless blades so you can cut through the ribs of chickens. The best models come apart at the hinge so they can go in the dishwasher. Try the Henckel Take Apart Kitchen Shears
from a respected German knife maker, or try my favorite, the OXO Good Grips Professional Poultry Shears
(above).
The Original Simon & Garfunkel Grilled Chicken Recipe
Makes:
Takes:
Ingredients
- 4 pound whole chicken or cut parts
- 2 teaspoons Morton Coarse Kosher Salt (approximately 1/2 teaspoon per pound of meat)
- 2 tablespoons Simon & Garfunkel Rub
These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page
Method
- Prep. Cut out the spine and then cut the bird into parts, including the breasts, wings, and drum with thigh combo. If you wish, remove the skins. If time permits, salt the meat an hour or two before cooking and keep it in the fridge. This is called dry brining.
- Wet the the chicken parts lightly with water and sprinkle the rub on generously.
- Fire up. Preheat the grill using a 2-zone setup. On a gas grill, turn the burners on one side to medium or high as seen in the photo at right. On a charcoal grill, light your coals and push them all to one side. Shoot for 325°F (163°C) on the other, indirect heat side. You cannot measure the temp properly with a center mounted lid thermometer. Get a good digital grill thermometer that has a probe that you can place on the indirect side near the grate, where the meat is. 325°F (163°C) is a good temperature for browning skin and melting fat, and it is not too hot so there will not be a lot of shrinkage or toughening of proteins the meat. The skin will shrink a bit. If you haven't read it yet, now would be a good time to look over my article on calibrating your grill. If you want, you can throw some wood chunks on the fire. Don't soak the wood (click here to read more about how to use wood and why you don't need to soak it).
- Cook. Place the meat on the indirect heat side and close the lid. You probably won't need to flip the pieces, so just let them get nice and brown on the bottoms, but check to make sure the bottoms aren't burning. As the meat roasts on the indirect side, juices and flavors aren't squeezed out by the high heat, the skin doesn't burn, and there will be no flareups. When the white meat hits about 145°F (63°C), flip it skin side down and place it on the other side over the direct heat. Move the dark meat over the direct heat when it hits about 150°F (65°C). On a gas grill, I crank it full bore and flip it every minute or two so both sides get good and dark, but don't burn. As the white meat hits 155°F (68°C) and the dark meat 165°F (75°C), take them off. The white meat will rise to the safe serving temp of 160°F (71°C) and dark meat will rise to its optimal temperature of about 170°F (77°C).
- Serve. Plate and serve the chicken immediately.
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