Free Range Grilled Chicken
While it's fairly common for people to think grilled chicken is easy, it's actually one of the harder things to master on the grill since it requires balancing cooking the pieces through to a safe temperature and crisping the skin up, but not burning it. This recipe is very easy to follow and presents a great way to get great results with very minimal effort and the Free Range® ensures that the bold flavors are front and center. If you prefer a little more heat, use Uncontrolled Free Range® instead.
After you've quartered your chicken, rinse and dry it thoroughly. Applying the oil and seasonings to dry chicken helps the seasonings penetrate during the "dry brine" period. An overnight dry brine is what we recommend, but if you're in a rush, at least 3-4 hours works. Bring the chicken to room temperature while you preheat your grill. Finally, there's a period of "getting to know your grill" that everyone must go through. If you've not gotten there where you know temperatures for various setups on your grill, chicken isn't likely the best protein to start with to learn that. It's way too easy to get the initial temperature wrong and char the bone side of the chicken while you're waiting for it to hit 130°F. Ideally you flip the chicken to the skin-side once, but that's not a requirement per-se, just balance the need to crisp the skin-side with the time you need to get to a finished internal temperature of 160°F.
As always, from our table to yours... #SpiceConfidently #EssenceOfFlavor #ChemistryInTheKitchen #CasaMSpice
— Mike Hernandez
ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 whole chicken, butchered into quarters
- 3 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt per pound of chicken
- 4 Tablespoons Casa M Spice Co® Free Range®
FEATURED QUOTE
While it's fairly common for people to think grilled chicken is easy, it's actually one of the harder things to master on the grill since it requires balancing cooking the pieces through to a safe temperature and crisping the skin up, but not burning it.
- Mike HernandezLET’S GET COOKING
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1.
For best flavor throughout the chicken, season the night before you plan to cook. If you don't have time for overnight, season at least a few hours before you plan to cook your chicken. To season, add the dry, quartered chicken to a mixing bowl and add the oil, salt, and Free Range® and mix thoroughly to coat the chicken thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to grill the chicken.
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2.
Preheat your grill to about 250-300°F. On our pellet charbroiler, that's the low setting. While the grill is preheating, pull the chicken from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
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3.
When the grill is ready and the chicken is near room temperature put each piece onto the direct heat grill bone side down and close the grill. Set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes check your internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The goal is to get to 120°F internal temperature before flipping. Reset your timer as appropriate (depending on the size of the chicken pieces). Flip when each individually gets to 130°F. Monitor the bottom of the chicken to ensure it doesn't scorch. If it looks like it's cooking too quickly, turn the heat down.
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4.
Ideally all four quarters will hit an internal temperature of 130°F about the same time, flip them and turn the heat up to 350°F. With the skin-side down the higher heat will crisp up and caramelize the seasonings nicely.
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5.
Pull the chicken from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 160°F and let them rest for 10 minutes on a platter before serving them and watching them disappear.
