Here at Citrus the Diner, our goal is to provide delicious and healthy meals to all of our guests, and one of the best tools we have at our disposal for creating these dishes is grilled chicken. While grilled chicken can become bland and boring if prepared badly, with the right effort and creativity, it will be delicious every time. In this article, we will go over a few secrets to achieving the perfect grilled chicken.
- Choose the Right Cut- Perfect grilled chicken starts with the right cut of meat, which will vary depending on the dish you plan to make or how long you have to prepare your meal. For instance, grilling a whole bird will take longer than grilling a thigh, which will take longer than grilling a boneless breast.
- Add Flavor First- In order to get the perfect grilled chicken, it’s best to infuse the meat with flavor before you cook it. Try soaking your chicken in a brine or marinade, or rubbing it with a dry seasoning blend, before throwing it on the grill. The seasonings will flavor the meat and help keep it juicy and tender.
- Check Temperature- Lastly, when cooking chicken in any way, you should always check its internal temperature to make sure it has cooked completely and is safe to eat. The safe temperature for chicken is 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and the best way to check when grilling is to use an infrared thermometer. If you don’t have one, a standard meat thermometer will do, or you can cut into the thickest part of the meat to visually inspect it–the meat should be white and opaque, not pink and translucent.
If you want the perfect grilled chicken without the work of cooking it yourself, stop by and try one of our chicken dishes at Citrus the Diner today. We’re confident you won’t be disappointed!