Tag: Skinless

Super Moist Grilled Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts by Gordon Ramsay


Now you can have great super moist grilled skinless boneless chicken breasts. Start with a combination of brine/marinade than a simple reverse searing method to keep the moisture going.

nicely cooked chicken breast with grill marks on an orange plate

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Introduction and My Rating

We all grill skinless boneless chicken breasts, but so many become hockey pucks. I have published several recipes that are quite good at avoiding hockey puck-itis. But this recipe adapted from Cooks Country pulls out all the stops with great results.

When I saw this in  Cook’s Country, it just called my name. While I didn’t stick to the script completely, the combination of a brine/marinade and reverse searing is everything you can do to keep that chicken breast moist. It works.

Will the original recipe is a charcoal grill recipe with some comments for gas, I’m keeping it all gas.

Even with my super-duper gas grill, this takes a bit longer than with charcoal. Why do you ask? Well, the radiant heat thing is the best explanation I have.

I modified the brine/marinade to make it more scalable for the number you need and defined the gas grill method more.

My Rating

My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

I’m going with a five but a lower five. After all, it is just grilled chicken.

👨‍🍳Method

This method uses a marinade that acts like a brine, also. The second “difference” of this recipe is the indirect cooking method.

This will be a very “your mileage may vary” type of recipe. The two main problem points are:

1) The thickness and size of the chicken breast.
2) The grill… not only the power of the grill, but the configuration will affect this recipe. So keep your eyes open and the thermometer at hand.

You will be rewarded with ultra-moist chicken.

🐓The Chicken

It is always better to be cooking chicken breasts of about the same size and thickness. If one breast is significantly thicker than the others, use a meat mallet or bottom of a pan to even it out.

Also, with chicken breasts, letting them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes while you get the grill setup is a great help in getting the right internal temperature without burning the outside.

♨️The Grill

This is a slow grilling method that uses a “reverse searing technique” for the chicken breasts. It is initially cooked with indirect heat then finished over direct heat to finish cooking.

The method I describe here mirrors the Cook’s Country method. It is a bit fussy but has been tested thoroughly and does great.

Having said that, I have done this recipe multiple times with both this reverse searing technique and my normal chicken breast technique. The results are nearly identical, and I find my less confusing. See How to BBQ Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast on a Gas Grill if you want an example.

Charcoal Grill: Since this technique uses high heat and an indirect heat area, it will be fine on a charcoal grill but the time may be a bit less.

📖Chicken Breast Recipes

How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill

How to BBQ Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast on a Gas Grill

Baked Chicken Breast

A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill

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🔪Instructions

raw chicken with oil and seaonings

Start by mixing brine/marinade in a ziplock bag of two tablespoons oil,  two tablespoons water, two cloves crushed garlic, one teaspoon sugar, one teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

raw chicken on red board being hit with meat mallet

Trim chicken breasts. If your chicken is very thick, then pound that area down a little with a meat hammer to even them out some. Aim for about 3/4 inch thick.

chicken in marinade in bag

Add to the brine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

marinaded chicken going on grill grates

Preheat grill on maximum. Clean and oil well. Turn off half of the grill. Keep the lite burners on high. Place chicken on the side you turned off but keep the edge of the chicken breast within 4 inches of the lite burner. The thicker end of the chicken should be towards the heat.

chicken breasts with grill marks starting to cook on grill

Cook undisturbed for about 10-12 minutes. You should have some grill marks and no pink left on the bottom surface before flipping. When you flip, place the thinner end to the lite burner side.

two grilled chicken breasts on a blue plate

Cook until internal temp of 140°. About another 10-12 minutes. Then place over the lite burners (still on high) for about 5 minutes per side until internal temp of 165°.

piece of chicken on fork

Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

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📖 Recipe

Super Moist Grilled Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts

Now you can have great super moist grilled skinless boneless chicken breasts. Start with a combination of brine/marinade than a simple reverse searing method to keep the moisture going.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Servings/Adjust Amount: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Brine/marinade

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 cloves garliccrushed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  • Start by mixing brine/marinade in a ziplock bag of two tablespoons oil, two tablespoons water, two cloves crushed garlic, one teaspoon sugar, one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

  • Trim chicken breasts. If your chicken is very thick, then pound that area down a little with a meat hammer to even them out some. Try for about 3/4 inch thick.

  • Add to the brine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

  • Preheat grill on maximum. Clean and oil well. Turn off half of the grill, leaving the lite burners on high. Place chicken on the side you turned off but keep the edge of the chicken breast within 4 inches of a lite burner. The thicker end of the chicken should be towards the heat.

  • Cook undisturbed for about 10-12 minutes. You should have some grill marks and no pink left on the bottom surface before flipping. When you flip, place the thinner end to the lite burner side.

  • Cook until internal temp of 140°. About another 10-12 minutes. Then place over the lite burners(still on high) for about 5 minutes per side until internal temp of 165°.

  • Remove from grill and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips:

  1. Do not brine. The marinade is a combination marinade with a brine. Do not rinse before cooking this one.
  2. Try to use chicken breast of about the same size. Flatten with a meat mallet or bottom of a pan to make the same thickness. Aim for about 3/4 inch.
  3. Allow to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before starting to grill will be helpful getting the internal temperature of the chicken right without burning.
  4. Cook to a final internal temperature of 165° then rest for at least 5 minutes before serving
  5. This is a very “your mileage may vary” type of recipe. The variables are quite a few. The thickness and size of the chicken breast. The grill… not only the power of the grill but the configuration will affect this recipe. So keep your eyes open and the thermometer at hand. You will be rewarded with ultra-moist chicken.

Course Grilled, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken Breast Recipe, Grilled Chicken, Reverse seared chicken breast

 

Check Out Other Great Recipes

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HAVE A QUESTION? – Look in the full post.Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don’t miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.

 

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.   Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Super Moist Grilled Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 259 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 12g60%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 714mg30%

Potassium 418mg12%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 34IU1%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 11mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

 

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Originally Published May 22, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos and a table of contents to help navigation.

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How to BBQ Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast on a Gas Grill by Gordon Ramsay


A great tasting, moist, and tender grilled BBQ skinless boneless chicken breast. A simple short brine gets you the moist chicken breast you want. A light coat of BBQ sauce then grills carefully. Umm, chicken heaven.
Picture of two Grilled BBQ Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts on a white plate

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Introduction and My Rating

Everybody wants to grill skinless boneless chicken breast, but they all get hockey pucks. To address this issue, I started with a simple brine to help with the moisture problem you can have with SBCB. Add a little cayenne for taste to the brine.

Let set in the brine for about 30 minutes while the grill is heating. Rinse, pat dry, and a light coat of sauce. Grill carefully for about 30 minutes and add another coat of sauce a few minutes before removing. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.

My Rating:

My rating system. Great 5 out of 5


Tasty and easy to do. A classic recipe. I was a high four, but having redone this a number of times, I’m at a low five along with my wife.

🐓Chicken Breasts

Skinless boneless chicken breasts have gotten much bigger over the years. It is always easier to cook chicken that is about the same size and thickness. So try to even it out when you pick your chicken.

If you get these really plump ones, flatten them down a little with a meat mallet or bottom of a pan. Try for about 3/4 inch thickness.

🥣The Brine

The recommended brine is relatively heavy in salt. According to Cooks Illustrated, this concentration of brine is recommended for chicken for 30 minutes to 2 hours. The chicken gets saltier if over 1 hour, so I’m suggesting 1-hour max.

To me (a safety guy), I don’t like raw chicken at room temperature for more than 20 minutes. Actually, 20 minutes will do a fairly good job of brining these.

While we no longer recommend rinsing chicken, you should always rinse carefully after brining. Also, don’t add any more salt after brine is used. You can grill a chicken breast and keep it moist without the brine, but it requires attention and skill. Skip the brine at your own risk.

♨️Grill

The grill temperature is the most important part of our keep it moist quest. For any chicken, I feel you can not “sock the heat to it.” The outside will be burnt before the center is safe to eat. Also, the light coat of sauce can burn easily.

I like to cook all chicken with a grill surface temperature of about 450°, give a take a little. This is medium on my current grill, which is a “hot” grill. It is medium-high on most gas grills. Please see my guide A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill and get it right.

I like to add a very light coat of BBQ sauce at the beginning to create a base for the last coat. You do not have to do that, but I recommend it.

Use the BBQ sauce of your choice. I love Gates BBQ of KC sauce but used Bulls Eye Original, which Cooks Illustrated likes (me too). My Memphis BBQ Sauce would also be great.

📖Chicken Breast Recipes

How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill
Super Moist Grilled Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
Grilled Blackened Chicken Breasts
Baked Chicken Breast
A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill
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🖊️Instructions

Trim skinless boneless chicken breast of any trim-able fat. Try to use chicken breasts of about the same size. And if you get some that are very plump, flatten them down a little with a meat mallet or bottom of a pan to about 3/4 inch thick.

adding chicken to the brine

Mix brine of 3 cups water,1 1/2 tablespoons table salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Add chicken and submerge and refrigerate for 30 minutes (no more than 1 hour).

cleaning grill with brush

Clean and oil grill grates and preheat to a surface temperature of 450°-500°, which is about medium-high on most grills. I recommend a surface thermometer to be able to control your grill well.

Patting dry chicken with paper towels

Remove chicken from brine and rinse lightly under running water. Pat dry. Please be careful and wash up the surrounding area and your hands.

Brushing chicken with BBQ sauce on plate

Brush lightly with BBQ sauce of your choice.

placing chicken breast over direct heat on grill

Place over direct heat.

brushing chicken with sauce on the grill

Flip about every 5 minutes. About 3-4 minutes before done, brush both sides with sauce. Remove from the grill at an internal temperature of 165°—about 30 minutes of total grill time. But total time will vary by the exact grill temperature and thickness of the breasts. The thinner breast may be in the 25-minute range, and those huge thick ones may take 35 minutes.

BBQ chicken breast with sauce on plate

Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

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📖 Recipe

BBQ Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast on a Gas Grill

A great tasting, moist, and tender grilled BBQ skinless boneless chicken breast. A simple short brine gets you the moist chicken breast you want. A light coat of BBQ sauce then grill carefully. Umm, chicken heaven.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Brine30 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Servings/Adjust Amount: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoon BBQ sauce of choice

Brine (optional)

  • 3 cups watercold
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons table salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepperoptional

Instructions

  • Trim skinless boneless chicken breast of any trim-able fat. Try to use chicken breasts of about the same size. And if you get some that are very plump, flatten them down a little with a meat mallet or bottom of a pan to about 3/4 inch thick.

  • Optional Brine: Mix brine of 3 cups water,1 1/2 tablespoons table salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional.) Add chicken and submerge and refrigerate for 30 minutes (no more than 1 hour)

  • Clean and oil grill grates and preheat to a surface temperature of 450°-500° which is about medium-high on most grills. I recommend a surface thermometer to be able to control your grill well.

  • Remove chicken from brine and rinse lightly under running water. Pat dry. Please be careful and wash up the surrounding area and your hands.

  • Brush lightly with BBQ sauce of your choice.

  • Place over direct heat.

  • Flip about every 5 minutes. About 3-4 minutes before done, brush both sides with sauce. Remove from the grill at an internal temperature of 165°. About 30 minutes of total grill time. But total time will vary by the exact grill temperature and thickness of the breasts. The thinner breast may be in the 25-minute range, and those huge thick ones may take 35 minutes.

  • Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips:

  1. This brine is relatively heavy in salt so a maximum time of 1 hour please. Rinse to remove extra salt. The brine is optional but recommended.
  2. Total grilling time will vary by the exact grill temperature and thickness of the breasts. Thinner breast may be in the 25-minute range, and those huge thick ones may take 35 minutes.
  3. If you have a breast that has a large variation in thickness, using a meat mallet to even things out a bit is a good idea. Try for about 3/4 inches thick.
  4. I like a very light coat of BBQ sauce at the start to create a base for later. It does not burn but omit if you which.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword BBQ Chicken, Chicken Breast Recipe, Grilled Chicken

 

Check Out Other Great Recipes

Graphic for visual directory

HAVE A QUESTION? – Look in the full post.Make it Perfect First Time and Every Time. Don’t miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.

 

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.   Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

BBQ Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast on a Gas Grill

Amount Per Serving

Calories 159 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 678mg28%

Potassium 459mg13%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 73IU1%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 23mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

 

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Editors Note: Originally published August 1, 2011. It was in need of a rewrite, some better photo editing and some clarification of technique.
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