Grilling Chicken Breasts

Chicken breasts are perfect for preparing on the grill year round. They can be purchased with the bone-in, with the bones removed, with the skin on and with the skin removed. Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts are the easiest to prepare on the grill, but the grill master must be mindful, as they cook fast and can become dry.

Removing the Skin and Bones from Chicken Breasts

When preparing the chicken breasts de-bone them and get rid of any extra fat, cartilage or uneven pieces. Or, you can take the bones out and bound on the chicken breasts. The ultimate goal here is for the breast to have a level thickness. You can save the cut out pieces for other uses. Slice thin crosswise slits in the breast, being very mindful not to slice all the way through. These slits are for the marinade to easily absorb into the chicken.

When cutting whole chickens, try to leave as much meat as possible on the chicken breast when removing the wings. To remove the ribs from the breast, begin at the breastbone and employ a knife to slice along the length of the bone. The breast should be skin side up when you do this. Remove as much skin from the breast as you prefer. A skinless breast will have less fat. However, it will call for a small quantity of extra oil to fry or sear them properly. Store the bones if you wish to make stock.

Marinating

If you're going to purchase a ready-made marinade, get one that's oil-based as the oil helps lock in the natural juices of the meat. The ingredients should be half acidic and half oil. Feel free to incorporate other ingredients like onions, garlic, mustard and ginger. However, try to skip on the salt at this point, as it can dry the meat out considerably. A good marinated chicken for grilling will sit for 6 to 8 hours.

Always Prepare the Grill

When it's time to cook, the grill must be preheated and set to medium-high. Cook the breast until the top part becomes an opaque color. Once it does, flip to the other side and incorporate a bit more marinade. Cook each side until nicely browned and firm to the touch but not hard.

A Quick Idea - Mexican Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa

For a more exotic and spicy flavor, start by throwing some garlic cloves, onions, tomatoes and peppers on the grill and leave them there with the lid closed until the garlic skin peels off and the peppers and vegetables are charred. Take them all out, chop them up, and mix in some orange juice, lemon and salt. Distribute half of the mixture over chicken breasts, rub it in and marinate. When it's time to cook, grill the chicken around 5 minutes on each side. To make avocado salsa, mix together some avocado meat, cilantro and the vegetable, garlic and pepper mixture that was left.

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