We Asked A BBQ Pitmaster How To Actually Grill The Perfect Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is the bane of grillers everywhere. It's notoriously one of the hardest-to-grill cuts of meat. It's very lean and often uneven in thickness. Without the bone and skin, it can dry out well before it's fully cooked. You need to be prepared to grill a chicken breast if you want it to be moist, flavorful, and cooked properly. Easier said than done? Maybe. But we checked in with Chef Robbie Shoults, who offered us some tips for grilling the perfect chicken breast.

Shoults, owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse and Marshall Mercantile, told us the key to perfect chicken is prep. "Never skip marinating your chicken; the longer it soaks, the juicier and more tender the chicken will be — it will be dripping with flavor," he explained. Of course, even after marinating, there's more to grilling chicken to perfection.

"Try to avoid grilling the chicken too high or too low. A good tip is to set your grill to medium-high. The high side will give the chicken the grill marks; lower the temp to low heat to let the chicken cook," Shoults says. Well-marinated chicken that is put on a hot grill just long enough to get those good grill marks before lowering the temperature for thorough cooking sounds simple enough. But what happens if things don't go as planned and your final temperature is not what you want it to be?

Inevitably, if you grill enough chicken breasts, you're going to overcook one at some point. It's almost impossible not to. Those thick cuts of chicken are hard to master in terms of temperature and timing. Chef Shoults has you covered, though. There's still hope for salvaging overcooked chicken breasts. "Dress the meat up with sauce! The sauce will soak into the meat, creating juice and moisture. If using the meat for later, you can use the meat for enchiladas, tacos, or pizza. Depending on the type of meat, you can chop it and add a sauce to give it flavor," he told us.

On the flip side, if your chicken breast is cooked perfectly on the outside but the inside is not where you need it to be, there's a simple trick to even things out. This will ensure it is properly cooked, juicy, and flavorful all the way through. "I highly recommend thinly slicing meat of your choice and putting it in the oven, covered on low," Shoults says. "The heat will slowly cook the inside without drying the outside."

It takes time to master grilling chicken breasts, especially if you're trying it skinless and boneless. Once you have your seasoning down, it may take some practice to perfect the cooking. But if you follow Chef Shoults' advice, even if you have some slip-ups, you can salvage what you have and still enjoy a tasty meal.