• About
  • My Favorite Blogging Tools
  • Archives
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Terms & Policies

Family Balance Sheet

where family, life, and finances meet

  • Home
  • How to Budget
  • Finances
    • Our Debt Freedom Plan
    • Christmas Savings Club
    • Debt Free Stories
    • Marriage and Money
    • Medi-Share
  • Grocery Budget
    • Saving Money on Groceries
    • Freezer Cooking
    • 31 Days to Slash Your Grocery Spending
  • Recipes
    • Freezer Cooking
    • Recipes – Appetizers & Snacks
    • Recipes – Beverages
    • Recipes – Breakfast & Brunch
    • Recipes – Desserts
    • Recipes – Grilling
    • Recipes – Main Dish
    • Recipes – Sides & Soups
    • Recipes – Slow Cooker
    • Cooking ‘How-To’ Series
  • Family
    • Frugal Holiday Fun
    • Frugal Family Activities
    • Travel Destinations
    • Camping
    • Budget Travel
    • Giving
  • Frugal Living
    • How We Frugal-ed
    • Saving Money on Groceries
    • Saving Money in your Home
    • Saving Money during the Holidays
    • Gardening
  • 31 Days to Find $1000

How To Grill Chicken Breast and Not Dry It Out Like The Sahara

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you sign-up for services or make a purchase after clicking on a link below, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Also, I am not a financial advisor. I'm a blogger who LOVES to share how I manage the finances for my household.

June 28, By Kristia 25 Comments

How to Grill Chicken and not dry it - master copy

Years ago, I dreaded grilling boneless, skinless chicken breast, because it always turned out very dry.

I was horrified one time when I had my family over for dinner and served them grilled chicken. My poor grandfather, who is the strongest person I have ever known, could barely cut his chicken because it was so tough. My family was very polite about the chicken, “everything is delicious, dear” as they chugged water just to get it down.

So in my quest to not inflict my poor family with dried out chicken ever again, I consulted with one of my cookbooks,Bobby Flay’s Grill It!. Bobby’s simple advice, “ don’t overcook it”.

Ooooooh, so that was my problem. It turns out I was grilling my chicken twice as long as I needed to.

I am happy to report that my grilled chicken has improved dramatically and is a family favorite. We are no longer guzzling water at the dinner table.

How To Grill Chicken Breast

1. Pre-heat your grill to high. I have a three burner gas grill. I light the outside 2 burners and keep the middle one closed.

2. Cut off the tenderloins. They are so thin that they will dry out and be almost inedible if they are cooked as long as the rest of the chicken. Cook separately. They will only take about 2 minutes on each side on the grill. Or save them to make chicken nuggets for the kids.


3. Place the chicken breasts in a plastic bag or between plastic wrap and pound the chicken with a rolling pin, heavy pan, or meat mallet until about evenly ½ inch thick.

4. Drizzle olive oil and your favorite spices over your chicken and toss to coat evenly. I have stopped using dressings, marinades, and BBQ sauce for skinless chicken. I think the sugar in those dressings causes the chicken to burn and dry out.

5. When the grill hits at least 450 degrees, place the chicken on the middle of the grill. Close the lid. I don’t let the grill go too much over 450 degrees.


6. Cook 6 minutes and flip. Flipping the chicken more than once is a good way for it to taste like sand. It dries out the chicken.


7. Continue to grill another 4 minutes with the lid closed. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast should read 155 degrees F.

8. Remove from grill and let the chicken sit for 5 minutes before cutting into. This is VERY important. If you cut into the chicken too soon, all of the juices will come gushing out and dry out the chicken. Trust Me!

We love to top our grilled chicken with salsa. Some of our favorites:

  • Mango Red Pepper Salsa
  • Cantaloupe Salsa
  • Peach Mango Salsa
  • Salsa with Canned Tomatoes.

Do you have a favorite grilling recipe you’d like to share?

P.S. Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter and receive money-saving tips, debt free stories, and delicious recipes sent to your inbox. Sign up here.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate, and if you make a purchase through my link, I earn a small percentage–at no cost to you! You can read the site’s full disclosure here.

 

Filed Under: Cooking 'How-To' Series, Recipes - Grilling, Recipes - Main Dish

Get a Free Family Balance Sheet Excel Spreadsheet download

Comments

  1. Ott, A. says

    June 28, at 12:55 pm

    Thanks for hosting this weeks party. My husband makes these yummy lamb burgers. Don’t know if you have ever tried lamb, but we grill it quite often. Hopefully it will add some diversity to your linky party this week.

    Reply
  2. Lisa@BlessedwithGrace says

    June 29, at 2:33 am

    Great grilling tips! I hate dried out, like the Sahara, chicken.:-) Thanks for linking to TMTT.

    Reply
  3. Bucksome says

    June 29, at 3:41 am

    I love the title! Thanks for the secret; I haven’t been waiting before cutting.

    Reply
  4. Ann says

    June 29, at 5:04 am

    I loved grilled chicken! What I usually do is boil my chicken in a pot of boiling water for a few minuets, then I will put it on the grill. It always turns out tender and juicy!

    http://www.honoringtheking.com

    Reply
  5. SnoWhite says

    June 29, at 12:26 pm

    Thanks for the tips!

    Reply
  6. Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet says

    June 29, at 1:16 pm

    Thank you for the great info on grilling chicken! I hate dry chicken. Dh has been trying to get it just right, so I’ll have to let him check this out. 😀

    Reply
  7. Brenda says

    June 29, at 2:08 pm

    Bobby Flay gives the best cooking advice. I’ve had the same problem with my grilled chicken. Love your cute title for the post.

    Reply
  8. the country cook says

    June 29, at 3:18 pm

    Excellent advice! Dried out grilled chicken is the WORST. – http://www.delightfulcountrycookin.com

    Reply
  9. Bitterroot Mama says

    June 30, at 2:28 pm

    Great tips for grilled chicken. Thanks for a practical (and yummy) post.

    Reply
  10. Kathleen@so much to say, so little time says

    June 30, at 6:02 pm

    I never thought about letting it sit for a few minutes–b/c you’re right, the juice does come pouring out. Thanks for the idea!

    Reply
  11. Candi says

    June 30, at 11:52 pm

    Thanks for hosting this Grilling Linky! We’ve been doing Summer Burger Bash for a few weeks so I’m going to start linking to your party. By the way, I love the Food Network, thankfully my cooking has improved since watching it and consulting the cookbooks of the chefs. Your chicken sounds so good!

    Reply
  12. Jacqueline says

    July 2, at 4:46 am

    I am the griller in the family, I thought that was supposed to be what a man likes to do! My family always complains because I often overcook the meat. I explain that it is because I am so busy doing the rest of the meal at the same time. Now, if I set the timer, at least the chicken will be great. Thanks for the tips. Catchy title too – that’s why I checked it out.

    Reply
  13. Jerri says

    July 2, at 8:46 am

    Your chicken looks really great!

    Reply
  14. Beth says

    July 2, at 7:47 pm

    Oh, fantastic info! This is going to be so useful this Summer, and all year really. I am a terrible chicken cooker so I am very thankful you shared this, and it is so simple!

    Reply
  15. Lori E says

    July 3, at 3:10 am

    My husband always cooks it too long. I will point this out to him.

    Reply
  16. Lori E says

    July 3, at 3:10 am

    My husband always cooks it too long. I will point this out to him.

    Reply
  17. Lori E says

    July 3, at 3:10 am

    My husband always cooks it too long. I will point this out to him.

    Reply
  18. Anonymous says

    July 7, at 11:46 pm

    I am BBQ-ing Chicken breast tonight and was not sure how long to cook them. I found your site by chance.
    Thanks for posting.
    Linda Seattle WA

    Reply
  19. Janeen says

    September 8, at 5:04 pm

    I was suggested this blog by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written
    by him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty.
    You are incredible! Thanks!
    Janeen recently posted…JaneenMy Profile

    Reply
  20. Bethany says

    April 28, at 9:04 pm

    Thank you! Used your tips, came out amazing and I am super picky! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristia says

      April 28, at 10:10 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Bethany.

      Reply
  21. Charlotte says

    March 24, at 2:58 am

    Thanks for the post!! I like to cut up a couple green and yellow zucchini, marinade them in Italian dressing, then throw them in a shaker basket and grill them right alongside the chicken. I’m also a huge fan of dry roasted brussel’s sprouts.

    Reply
  22. mark says

    June 6, at 5:56 am

    Amazing way of preparing chicken and I loved the way you have explained so that everone can cook at their own home. LOved it Thanks a lot

    Reply
  23. Abby says

    November 27, at 9:29 pm

    Looks soooo yummy! Can’t wait to try out your recipe! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Lemony Asparagus Pasta says:
    May 7, at 9:00 am

    […] is great served warm or cold with grilled chicken or your favorite burger (find some burger ideas below the […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

WELCOME!

SEARCH

Get a Free Family Balance Sheet Excel Spreadsheet download

recipes

Recent Posts

  • 8 Action Steps for a Frugal February!
  • Our 2023 Financial Goals
  • 3 Smart Steps to Pay Cash for Christmas
  • 30 Free but Thoughtful Christmas Gift Ideas
  • 10 Ideas to Find Cash for Christmas
Follow Kristia Ludwick's board Best of FamilyBalanceSheet.org on Pinterest.

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Kristia Ludwick is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

COPYRIGHT

I love it when you share! Please keep in mind that all images and text on this site are property of Family Balance Sheet. Feel free to use one or two photos provided that a link back to my original post is included. Please do not remove any watermarks, crop, or edit any of my images without first obtaining written permission from me. Please do not replicate or copy any content from Family Balance Sheet without written permission from me. All free printables & spreadsheets offered are for personal use only. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated! Thank you!

Disclaimer

FamilyBalanceSheet.org is for informational and entertainment purposes only. I am not a financial professional. I’m a girl who loves to talk and read about personal finance and how it relates to hard working families. If you feel you need financial advice, please seek out a competent professional.

Disclosures

  • The content on FamilyBalanceSheet.org may contain affiliate and/or referral links that help support this site at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I believe in.
  • Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in