8 cooking mistakes to avoid while grilling the chicken

Do you always end up cooking the toughened version of chicken on the grilling rack?  Here are 8 cooking mistakes that you might be making while grilling this tender meat. Read on to know what these mistakes are and how to correct them.

Chicken, if cooked with caution can very well be the star of any celebration. A juicy and easy to eat piece of chicken is what we all wish to grill but it takes some basic tricks to get it right every time. Here are some expert opinions on the mistakes that you must avoid while grilling the chicken.

Too high temperature. Do not grill the chicken on a very high heat and keep the temperature to medium range. Also, you should aim to cook the chicken on indirect heat for some time and then sear it well in the final moments before serving.

Heat escaping too often. Each time lid is removed from grilling rack the temperature drops as the precious heat escapes. Try to keep the grill lid covered while the chicken is being grilled to cook it uniformly and create an oven like atmosphere.

Not using a thermometer. Use the cooking thermometer to get a correct idea about the degree of doneness of chicken from inside. Ideally, the chicken should be cooked until the internal temperature of 165 degrees F is achieved.

Adding sauce at a wrong time. You must let the chicken cook a little before you brush some marinade on it. Sugary BBQ sauce tends to caramelize fast and if added at the starting of cooking it may start to burn while the chicken is still undercooked.

Crowding the grill. It sure feels right to place everything together at the same time while the grill is still hot but overcrowding the grill with too much food can lead to uneven cooking and burning of food. This occurs as the heat gets dissipated and the food drippings may result in large flames that may char the food.

Grilling different chicken cuts together. Each part of the chicken requires a different cooking time and temperature, which may also vary based on the presence of bone and skin on cuts of the chicken.

Not letting the chicken to rest. It is very important that you should let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes for larger cuts and 5 minutes for smaller ones.

Using a dirty grill. Always clean the grill before you start using it. You may clean the leftover bits of chicken with a soft brush or an aluminum foil.