Chicken barbecue: see how to prepare the cuts

Chicken barbecue is always a good choice, whether for Sunday lunch or for lovers of the dish who never miss an opportunity to enjoy a good meal.

The availability of chicken cuts is quite wide, and the chosen cut plays an important role not only in the preparation method but also in the flavor and outcome of the dish.

With the aim of optimizing your skill with chicken meats, the CIMO blog has prepared exclusive content with preparation tips, the best cuts, and how to master barbecue!

Enjoy.

Recommended equipment for chicken barbecue

Having the right equipment for cutting chicken is crucial for preparing a good barbecue. This way, you can debone, cut, prepare, and serve the chicken!

The main utensils include:

• Cleaver: ideal for deboning due to its ergonomics and comfortable handling;

• Chef's knife: ergonomically made for precisely cutting fillets and pieces;

• Boning knife: has excellent ergonomics for deboning large chicken parts with bones;

• Barbecue knife: excellent for cutting pieces after grilling the chicken barbecue.

Among the most important tools is the cleaver, perfect for cutting bony meats like chicken, beef, and pork.

In addition, it's a great tool for deboning, and many professional chefs use it not only for cutting meats but also for chopping larger quantities of vegetables, herbs, and greens more easily.

The chef's knife, on the other hand, is known among professionals and amateurs for its versatility and multi-purpose use. Among others, it's perfect for slicing, dicing, filleting, and chopping. It usually measures between 15 and 30 cm and has an easy-gliding blade, which is slightly curved.

For this reason, chefs invest in this tool for preparing different dishes, especially for cutting ingredients like chives, parsley, and for crushing garlic cloves.

Stainless steel is the most recommended material for the knife when preparing chicken barbecue, especially for its grip. This material is recognized for providing precision to cuts, and it is also suitable for other recipes.

Discover the ideal chicken cuts for barbecue

The key to preparing a delicious chicken barbecue is choosing the right cut.

Some of the main ones include:

• Thighs and drumsticks: have a soft texture, are known for their juiciness, and the ideal preparation time is approximately 1h20min or until golden brown;

• Wings: are the fattiest parts of the chicken, and the cooking process takes around 50 minutes;

• Chicken breast: has low fat content and takes about 40 minutes to be ready.

For this reason, it is essential to explore the different types of cuts and their characteristics to enjoy the best of your barbecue, whether to serve family, relatives, and friends or simply to savor something delicious on an ordinary day.

1. Chicken breast

Chicken breast may be the least flavorful part of the bird, and it is also considered the healthiest. Therefore, the ideal is for it to absorb seasonings and condiments well.

While some people prefer to season it only with coarse salt, others prefer to use some seasonings that include:

• Lemon;

• Garlic;

• Pepper;

• Onion;

• Oregano;

• Salt to taste.

To prepare chicken breast, the first step is to add lemon and wait up to 15 minutes for it to penetrate the meat. After that, the next step is to mix the other ingredients, let it rest for 3 hours, and then take it to the grill.

2. Thighs and drumsticks

Extremely succulent cuts!

To fully enjoy their flavor, it is necessary to marinate them in herbs and seasonings such as thyme, oregano, salt, onion, and garlic. It is ideal to leave them for a long time to acquire maximum flavor.

Thighs and drumsticks are not only great for barbecue but also stand out for their advantages in providing protein, having low fat content, and being rich in B-complex vitamins and collagen.

Among the seasonings for this cut, we have: olive oil, herbs, onion, and garlic. In addition, you can also use your preferred seasonings to further elevate the flavor of your barbecue.

Tips for preparing chicken to achieve maximum flavor

To get the most flavor, it's ideal to put the chicken through the marinating process so that each piece absorbs the seasoning well — with the right ingredients, your chicken will have a unique taste.

Some of the most common types of marinades include simple and herb-based ones, but there are many options to try. Check out the preparation tips below to elevate the flavor of your barbecue chicken:

Simple marinade

The rule of marinating is clear: the longer it marinates, the more flavor the cut acquires. This is an alternative not only for preparing barbecue but also for other recipes.

Its ingredients include:

• 1 crushed garlic clove;

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil;

• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice;

• Herbs of your choice (thyme, parsley, basil, cilantro, and others).

1. Mix the crushed garlic with olive oil and lemon juice;

2. Mix the fresh herbs of your choice until homogeneous;

3. Place in a bowl with plenty of seasoning used for marinating;

4. Cover with plastic wrap.

5. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Herb marinade

Herb marinade is a classic and very easy to make. Its combination of herbs with lemon makes the citrus flavor stand out and perfect for your recipe, whether for barbecue or not.

The ingredients are:

• Chives;

• Garlic;

• Basil;

• Tahitian lime juice;

• Parsley;

• Lime zest;

• Olive oil;

• Salt;

• Black pepper.

1. Start by adding the herbs to a bowl;

2. Add the lime juice, its zest, and olive oil right after;

3. In the next step, add salt, black pepper, and mix everything to let it marinate for a few hours.

Take the opportunity to check out the 12 best barbecue sides!

Exclusive techniques for chicken barbecue

For the perfect barbecue, mastering the fire is vital. This factor is indispensable regardless of your preferred doneness. To prepare chicken, the ideal temperature should be between 165°C and 175°C.

Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the piece. Generally, the time can be 20 to 30 minutes, but it is very important that the chicken is thoroughly cooked to avoid the risk of contracting bacteria present in the food.

It is worth remembering that roasting and grilling have differences that can directly affect the outcome.

• Roasting requires the meat to be at least 40 cm away from the fire;

• Grilling requires the meat to be about 15 cm away from the fire.

Essential accessories for chicken barbecue

To ensure a better experience when barbecuing, it is essential to have useful accessories for preparation.

Essential barbecue accessories include:

• Barbecue grill;

• Knives;

• Forks and tongs;

• Kits with cutlery and cutting boards.

For those who want better precision when grilling chicken, a thermometer can be the key tool. To use it, simply stick the sensor into the meat for a while and check the temperature.

You can start experimenting with new cuts today and practice daily to prepare the best chicken barbecue.

However, for this, it is necessary to have good quality accessories such as knives, stainless steel and inox, and to buy everything you need for a delicious barbecue. To acquire the best tools for a good barbecue, visit Cutelaria CIMO!