When it comes to grilling, chicken breasts can be problematic, especially boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The meat itself is lean, and without the bones to insulate it or skin to protect it, that naked chicken breast on the grill has a tendency to easily overcook and dry out.
So, what to do?
One method is to marinate chicken cutlets, or chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness, and quickly grill them on high heat. We use this method for our cilantro lime chicken and it works fine.
Another way, which doesn’t require you to change the shape of the chicken breasts, is to brine the chicken first, for half an hour.All it takes is 30 minutes in a simple 1/4 cup salt, 4 cup water brine solution, for the chicken breasts to absorb enough moisture so they can better hold up to the heat of the grill without drying out.
After half an hour the salt that is absorbed isn’t so much as to make your chicken salty, but enough so that the flavor of the chicken is enhanced. We would normally salt the meat, right? Don’t need to do that if you brine.
Then it’s a simple rub with paprika (great for color) and olive oil (no sticking on the grill), and onto the hot side of the grill it goes for searing, and the cool side for finishing. And you have beautifully grilled, perfectly juicy chicken breasts!
So, what to do?
One method is to marinate chicken cutlets, or chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness, and quickly grill them on high heat. We use this method for our cilantro lime chicken and it works fine.
Another way, which doesn’t require you to change the shape of the chicken breasts, is to brine the chicken first, for half an hour.All it takes is 30 minutes in a simple 1/4 cup salt, 4 cup water brine solution, for the chicken breasts to absorb enough moisture so they can better hold up to the heat of the grill without drying out.
After half an hour the salt that is absorbed isn’t so much as to make your chicken salty, but enough so that the flavor of the chicken is enhanced. We would normally salt the meat, right? Don’t need to do that if you brine.
Then it’s a simple rub with paprika (great for color) and olive oil (no sticking on the grill), and onto the hot side of the grill it goes for searing, and the cool side for finishing. And you have beautifully grilled, perfectly juicy chicken breasts!
How to Grill Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Recipe
It's always a good idea to use a meat thermometer when cooking meat at least an inch thick. We take our chicken off the grill at a little bit lower temp (150°F) than is usually recommended for poultry, but that's because the chicken will continue to cook for a few minutes off the heat, and we let the chicken rest for several minutes before eating, so it's safe.
Ingredients
Brine:
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt (or 3 Tbsp table salt)
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp olive oil (plus more olive oil for the grill)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
Read More: How to Grill Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
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