Baked Barbecue Chicken Vs. Grilled Barbecue Chicken

We would like to be very clear.  Fried chicken is one of the most awesome things on the planet.  It’s almost as good as bacon.  The problem is that it is also one of the most unhealthy ways that you can eat chicken.

Don’t get us wrong, it has its time and place, and we want to be at that place at that time.  There are healthier ways to cook up your yard bird and sometimes they may even taste better.  There are two other ways that most people fix their chicken – baked and grilled.

Depending on who you ask, finding out which way is better is like getting Congress to agree with each other.  Here at Fat Boy BBQ, we are firmly in the grilled camp for obvious reasons.  Many people don’t want to take on grilling their chicken because they think that they will dry it out.  That is a valid concern as we have grilled some that could doubled as shoe leather when finished.

There are just a couple of tips that you need that will help you become a chicken grill master.

• First thing is that dark meat has more fat than white meat.  You need to know this because they cook differently.
• Secondly, use just a little olive oil and a quality rub such as Fat Boy Sweet Rub prior to putting it on the grill.  The oil helps the rub stick to the meal and seal in the natural juices – all while cooking and providing flavor.
• Third is to grill your chicken at about 300 degrees.  This will also help hold in those juices.
• Lastly, cook it to an internal temp of 160-165 degrees.  Any hotter and you are burning up the juices and getting closer to that shoe leather that we talked about earlier.  Make sure to use a quality meat thermometer to check your internal temperature.

Now – on to baking your chicken.  The best times to bake a chicken are when it is below zero outside, your grill is broken, or you are out of charcoal.  If one of these three horrific things happen just make sure to season it well, cook it in a non-stick baking dish, and keep an eye on that internal temperature.