This Expert Method Makes Grilled Chicken Crispy Without Drying It Out

Looking to make delicious grilled chicken that is both crispy and not dry this week? Before you make the dish, you may want to try this expert-approved method to make grilled chicken juicy with a nice crisp. World-renowned chef José Andrés — whose new cookbook, "Spain My Way," comes out in May— taught us this trick that involves just a bit of patience on your end. 

"The best thing to do with chicken is to brine it, a true wet brine with a 3% or 3.5% salt brine for 24 hours," Andrés says. "The trick is to air-dry your chicken in the fridge for another 12 to 24 hours to dry out the skin a bit so it gets crispy on the grill." In the wet brine, the chicken absorbs moisture and locks in flavor. The air-drying step will help remove surface moisture, which is key to achieving crispiness. 

For chicken, if you've been wondering what the difference is between a wet brine and a dry brine, then wonder no more. For the chef, the answer is pretty definitive when it comes to brining chicken. "Some people prefer a dry brine or cure, which makes sense for drying out the flesh of fish, but for chicken it can lead to a drier meat since you're actually pulling liquid out of the meat," Andrés explains. The wet brine, on the other hand, will get the meat nice and salty-savory, and keep it moist."

To ensure the wet brine has depth and is salty-savory rather than overly salty, Andrés reveals that he sometimes likes to add some miso. But the brine isn't the only consideration here; the way you grill the chicken matters too. "If you want to grill a whole chicken, spatchcock it and temper it (like I do for steak) skin side up, letting the skin and fat render into the meat a bit," he explains. "Bring it to 120 degrees Celsius [248 degrees Fahrenheit] or so, then put it on the grate and grill it skin side up to get the next 20 to 25 degrees Celsius [68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit], then finish it skin-side down, not too close to the embers so that it doesn't scorch but the skin gets nice and crispy. That's a tasty chicken."

Finally, for those of you who aren't grilling chicken but wish to achieve similar results at home, you can cook juicy and crispy chicken in a pan. "Put [chicken thighs] skin-side down in a cold pan with no fat over medium heat," he says, "they're going to stick at first, but as some of the fat renders out of the skins, they will release and get extra golden brown."  So, if you're making chicken this week, be sure to follow Andrés' suggestions, and check out our additional tips for making the absolute best grilled chicken.