G is for Grilled

G is for Grilled 

Few things smell as good as something being grilled on a warm spring day. We all have experienced it -- walking down a sidewalk or past a restaurant and catching a whiff of that lovely scent: herbs and garlic and smoke and charcoal and succulent meat or vegetables. 
Or at a county fair or local barbecue -- line after line of chicken legs and thighs turning golden brown or a shish-ke-bob with a few charred peppers and onions hugging that tasty morsel of chicken breast. Yum!

But how to judge how long to cook your chicken on a grill? And how often have you taken your chicken off the grill only to find it is dry and tough or so charred you have to cut off the outer quarter-inch to get to something edible?

There is a solution! We are going to suggest an easy, delicious grilled chicken that every kid and adult will love. You can take this basic recipe and add all sorts of things to it -- garlic, herbs, marinade, salsa -- but it is one that your kid could even get ready for you if the chicken already is cut up. It's really, really simple. 

First, a little technique in grilling chicken. We like to grill chicken on the bone because it has more flavor. Same with the skin. And the skin helps to hold in moisture while the chicken cooks. You can still do this with boneless chicken, but the cooking time will be reduced. 

Preheat your grill. Then, line a sheet cake pan with aluminum foil wrap and place your chicken pieces on it, making sure there is a little space in between pieces. Then salt and pepper each piece -- you want to be generous with the salt but not ridiculous -- about a half-teaspoon per piece. Yes, that may sound like a lot, but remember that some of it will fall to the sides of each piece and more will be brushed off or lost during cooking. Then drizzle each piece with a little olive oil. Again, be generous but not ridiculous. Probably about 1-1/2 teaspoons per piece. It helps if you have one of those bottles with a long drizzle spout. Not only does it help you to control the amount you are pouring, but it is easy for kids to handle and control, too. We like to put our index finger on top to partially cover the opening of the spout to further control the flow of oil.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

Whoa! Do you think we forgot we are grilling? Hang with us here. 

Let the oiled and seasoned chicken sit for about 15 minutes if you have time; if not, that's OK. Grab your tongs and let's go!

Now, the key to great grilled chicken. Put each piece on the hot grill, breasts should be bone-side down, and close the lid. Turn each piece after 10-12 minutes and let them go for another eight minutes. While the chicken cooks, remove the foil from the sheet pan, wash it, and then cover it with a fresh piece of foil. 

Remove the chicken from the grill onto the fresh foil-lined pan after a total of about 20 minutes. It should be starting to turn golden brown and have some char marks. Put it in the oven and finish cooking -- about another 20 minutes unless the pieces are unusually large and thick, in which case it might take 30 minutes in the oven. Check the thickest pieces with a thermometer -- 160 degrees for white meat and 175 degrees for dark meat. 

Allow it to rest 15 minutes before you and your kids bite into tasty, juicy, smoky grilled chicken!

Do you have a favorite marinade or sauce? Marinate the chicken first or hit it with another coating of sauce after you remove the chicken from the grill but before it goes in the oven. It finishes beautifully!

Or add some vegetables to the mix and finish them in the oven with the chicken. They will pick up some of those lovely chicken juices. What kid wouldn't love that?!?

Grilled chicken Kid Friendly Cuisine style -- the flavor of grilling without the dryness!