Best-Ever Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
A note about gluten: To make this recipe gluten free, use a homemade brine or buy a packaged brine that is gluten free.
2 ½ lbs.
bone-in skin-on Gerber's Amish Farm Chicken (your choice of breasts, drumsticks or thighs)
- prepared poultry brine, packaged or homemade (see Tasty Tip below)
- Kowalski's Extra Virgin Olive Oil or canola oil, for grilling
- freshly ground Kowalski's Black Peppercorns, to taste
- dry rub, such as our recipe for Rosemary Rub (optional)
- deep disposable foil pan (approx. 17x12x3")
- sauce or glaze, such as our recipe for Fast Orange Glaze (optional)
Directions
- Submerge chicken in brine; let soak in the refrigerator, covered, for 20 min. to 1 hr.
- Pat chicken thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Very lightly brush chicken with oil; season with pepper.
- Sprinkle chicken with dry rub, if desired.
- Preheat both sides of a gas or charcoal grill to high heat; clean grill grates.
- Grill chicken skin-side down, lid down, until dark grill marks form and chicken releases easily from the grates (about 4 min.).
- Flip chicken; cook 4-5 min. more until dark grill marks form on opposite side (turn legs and wings to brown all sides).
- Turn one side of grill off (or move coals to one side). Move all chicken to the unlit side of the grill, as close to the heated side as possible but not directly over the flame (chicken pieces may touch; place ends of drumsticks and thin sides of breasts on top of thicker pieces to prevent overcooking).
- Place foil pan over both the chicken and the hot side of the grill to create a gentle convective heat over the chicken. Cook chicken with lid down, turning occasionally, until it reaches an internal temperature of 160° (20-25 min.).
- Remove from heat; toss hot chicken with sauce or glaze, if desired.
- Tent chicken loosely with foil; let rest for 5-10 min. before serving (chicken should reach 165° during this rest).
Tasty Tip:
- Make a brine by combining 2 qts. water, ⅓ cup kosher salt and ⅓ cup sugar. You can warm some of the water to help dissolve the salt and sugar, but be sure to completely chill brine before using.
Nutrition Note:
- This recipe is a good source of energy-producing B vitamins plus iron, zinc and the antioxidant selenium.