How long should you grill chicken breast? Get a tasty meal with these cooking tips.
Grilling is a backyard staple. Serving up grilled chicken, steak or seafood can be a delightful addition to a family dinner or potluck.
The threat to the ideal backyard grilling session is undercooked meat, which can tarnish your meal and body. Raw chicken can be contaminated with bacteria and can lead to salmonella or other types of food poisoning if consumed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You can take several steps before even cooking the chicken breast to ensure safety. The CDC recommends washing your hands before and after handling chicken and using a separate cutting board and plates.
How long to grill chicken breasts
You should grill chicken breasts for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Keep your grill on medium heat between 425 and 450 degrees, says grill manufacturer Weber.
Cook your chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, warns FoodSafety.gov. The safest way to ensure your chicken is properly cooked is to use a meat thermometer and check the innermost part of the thigh, the wing and thickest part of the breast.
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How long should you cook chicken breasts in the oven?
At 350 degrees Fahrenheit, boneless 4-ounce chicken breasts should cook for 20 to 30 minutes, says FoodSafety.gov. Bone-in chicken breasts, between 6 to 8 ounces, should stay in the oven for a bit longer at 30 to 40 minutes. The U.S. government’s food safety poultry roasting guide recommends adding 15 to 30 minutes for any stuffed poultry.
How long should you cook chicken breasts in the pan?
Ovens aren’t the only vehicle for cooking the perfect chicken breast. You can pan-sear chicken breasts for a quicker cook. The timing depends on the thickness, but the 165-degree Fahrenheit internal temperature still stands.
Budget Bytes recommends cooking a thick boneless chicken breast for about eight minutes on each side on medium heat, and thin breasts at four to five minutes per side.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How long to grill chicken breast: Steps to cook the best, safest meal