There's nothing like a delicious piece of chicken straight off the grill. Whether you are planning a family dinner or barbecue feast, there are a variety of grilled chicken recipes you can choose from. If you grill chicken often, here are two great ways to put a spin on your next family dinner or barbecue.
Crisscross Chicken
To jazz up your boneless chicken breasts and give them an authentic hot-from-the-grill flair, try this fun method of adding a crisscross charred pattern to your breasts.
Unthaw and prepare your chicken as you normally would for the grill with any of your routine chicken marinade recipes. Position the marinated chicken so that it is lying diagonally across the grill rack. Grill for five minutes, then turn the chicken in the opposite direction and grill another five minutes.
When you flip the chicken to the other side, make sure you have the chicken placed diagonally on the grill. Grill for five minutes, then turn the chicken in the opposite direction and grill for another five minutes. Be sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
Beer Butt Chicken
Another method for grilling chicken-and it's sure to be a hit-is beer butt chicken. There are many variations of this recipe.
Ingredients You Will Need:
1 can Budweiser beer (Any beer will work)
1 whole young chicken
Rub Mix:
1 tbs. cajun seasoning
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. onion powder
1 ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 ½ tsp. black pepper
1 ½ tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. salt
Thoroughly mix all of the spices together. Dispose of ¼ of your can of beer. Put 1 ½ teaspoons of the spice mix in the beer can with the rest of the beer. Rub the rest of the spices on the outside and inside of the chicken.
Let the spiced chicken rest while you start your grill. This will let the spices soak into the meat. If you are using a gas grill, preheat to about 250 degrees. If you are using charcoal, put the charcoal on one side of the grill. You will need to add more charcoal during the cooking process-about 12 pieces every hour.
Make a tin foil pan on the cool side of the grill. Stand the spiced beer in the middle of the foil. Set the chicken on top of it (put the beer can in where the stuffing would normally go). Balance the chicken on the beer can and the legs, making a tripod.
Close the grill lid. Grill for three hours. If you are using an open grill, you will need to add an extra hour of cooking time.
When finished grilling, remove the beer can from the chicken and place the chicken on a serving platter. Carve and serve with your favorite salad or grilled baked potatoes.
 | When you're grilling a whole chicken, use indirect heat and grill the chicken covered for 30 minutes breast side up and another 30 minutes breast side down. Check for doneness using a meat thermometer and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving. |
 | Learning how to grill chicken is one of the more difficult grilling skills to master. Chicken can be rather temperamental, burning quickly on the outside, staying raw on the inside and drying out all over. |
 | Need a fun and unique barbecue dish for your next outdoor party? Try cooking beer can chicken. It's not difficult to learn how to cook beer can chicken properly with the right ingredients and techniques. |
