How to grill chicken

A piece of hot grilled chicken is the cornerstone of a simple, healthy dinner. Follow our step-by-step cooking instructions for perfect grilled chicken and you'll have a delicious meal in minutes.

Test your skills with our recipe for grilled chicken with spicy tomato and caper sauce. Or, for extra flavour without the trouble of making a marinade, try squeezing the juice of half a lemon over the chicken when you turn it.

Our recipe collection includes plenty of salads and vegetable sides to accompany your great grill. So turn on the heat and start cooking!

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1. Trim

2. Pound

3. Marinate

4. Grill

5. Turn

6. Rest

1. Trim the fat

Trim any excess fat (the white bits) off a 150g skinless chicken breast fillet.

2. Pound

On a secure work surface (one that won’t slip), cover the chicken breast with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it’s 5mm thick. This helps the chicken to cook evenly.

3. Marinate or spray and season

Marinate the chicken in a little olive oil, garlic, lemon and herbs. Alternatively, if time is of the essence, coat the chicken with a light spray of olive oil and season with a pinch of sea salt, if desired. Adding the oil to the meat instead of the pan prevents the chicken from sticking and also reduces the amount of oil you need to use.

4. Grill one side

Heat a non-stick frying pan or electric grill over a high heat until hot. Add the chicken and grill for 2–3 minutes. If you have marinated the chicken, baste (which means to brush the meat with the marinade) while cooking.

5. Turn only once

When the chicken is half cooked, i.e. when the side in contact with the grill is a light golden brown, turn the chicken and cook it for another 2 minutes on the other side. Press the chicken to check that it’s cooked. When it’s cooked the chicken should feel firm to touch. If it’s soft and springy, it’s not fully cooked.

6. Rest

Once cooked, remove the chicken from the grill, place it on a plate and allow it to rest in a warm place (which means near where the chicken was cooked) for about 3 minutes. This helps the chicken fibres ‘relax’ and allows the juices to spread evenly through the chicken.