My Secrets to Juicy, Crispy Chicken Breasts

Mes secrets pour avoir des poitrines de poulet juteuses et croustillantes

There are many people who avoid cooking chicken breasts on the BBQ because they find that their meat always comes out dry.

That, my friends, is because they simply don't know the right way to do it. When I cook chicken breasts, they always come out crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside when I take them off my grill.

But… I’m a sharing guy, so I want to tell you how I do it so that you too can serve great BBQ chicken breasts to your family.

Ready? Here I go!

To have super good chicken breasts, it's simple, there are 3 steps to follow:

  1. Season the meats in advance;
  2. ALWAYS start cooking in the indirect heat zone;
  3. Check the internal temperature with a good thermometer.

And this is valid for cooking on any type of BBQ .

Be careful, though! Before even getting to the chicken preparation stage, I have a recommendation for you regarding the selection of your cut of meat: buy an air-chilled chicken breast . Why? Because those that are not are injected with water, and, although they cost less, they give a less good final result.

Let me explain: when there is water in meat, well, the water will evaporate during cooking, so you will not have a juicy meal at the end. On the contrary, you will have, on your plate, a dry chicken breast that will have shrunk on the BBQ. And that, let's face it, is not a winner and it is not what you want. Hence my advice. 😉

Once you have your chicken breast in hand, it's time to prepare it.

SEASONING

In order for your chicken breast to have flavor, I recommend that you ideally "rubber" it with spice mixes (I particularly like to spread Sweet Kansas BBQ Québec dry rub , then add a little Argentina BBQ Québec dry rub afterwards) about 5 minutes to 2 hours in advance. By doing this, the sugar in your dry rub (if there is any) will slowly melt, then the salt will be "absorbed" by the chicken flesh and penetrate inside it and "seal" everything.

COOKING

Then comes the time to cook. As I said, the important thing when cooking a chicken breast is to cook it in an indirect cooking zone first, or even exclusively (more on that below).

SO :

  • If you are using a charcoal BBQ, make sure to only put fuel on one side of your appliance;
  • If you are working with a gas BBQ, turn on the burners at the ends and keep the ones in the center off (I recommend doing this if you have several portions to cook and you want them to be ready at the same time), OR turn all the burners on your appliance to minimum intensity, if your grill has a top rack to receive the breasts (this 2nd way of doing it is really the best of the best);
  • If you are cooking with a Capt'n Cook OvenPlus BBQ , place a pizza stone on top of the ceramic stone in the upper part of the BBQ to create a "heat shield" between the burner and the meat (remember to put the stone in BEFORE lighting the Capt'n Cook, because otherwise it could have a thermal shock and break).

Whichever method you choose, be sure to preheat your grill to 400°F.

Once your chicken breast and your barbecue are ready, all you have to do is place the meat in the indirect cooking zone and let your appliance do its magic, taking care to turn it at least once, when it comes off the grill/container easily.

The container? Yes, in the case where a Capt'n Cook is used, you want the meat to be in the "indirect zone" as much as possible, so you place it in a stainless steel or ceramic container before sending it all to the BBQ, above the 2 stones. This way, the chicken will cook slowly and evenly, without being in contact with a very hot surface.

Otherwise, I repeat, the ideal, if you have a gas BBQ, is really to heat all the burners to the minimum and place the meat on the top grill to cook there.

THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE TO AIM FOR

A chicken breast is done when it has an internal temperature of 165-170°F. You can then cook it on an indirect cooking zone until it reaches 165°F or more, OR you can do what I prefer: give it a little caramelized crust by searing it on both sides.

More specifically, when the meat is almost done cooking, i.e. when it has an internal temperature of 160/165 °F, brush it with sauce on both sides ( Black Swan Savory Original is excellent), then sear it on each side. (Always turn the meat over when it comes off the surface it is on without any problem.)

By doing this, you will give your chicken breast the "little kick" it was missing. The skin will become crispier, to the point where you will have the impression that it is fried. 😋

And… that’s it! Once your meat has the right internal temperature, you let it rest a little off the BBQ, then you enjoy it in or with whatever you want. You’ll see, your chicken breast will be tender, tasty, and even almost “pullable”, it will come apart so well!

PSST! What's really fun about chicken breasts is that if there's any leftover, they make great lunches. They go with everything: rice, vegetables, spaghetti, sandwiches... So don't hesitate to prepare several at a time when cooking. 😉

Happy BBQ!

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