I'll share this recipe with you if you promise not to spread it around as it's my family's secret recipe!
Don't worry, I'll know if this gets around, so don't try to sneak this to anyone!
Rich’s (now almost famous) Unbelievable Italian Grilled Chicken (this is my secret recipe handed down to me by my father, so perhaps I should name it "Ernie's Italian Grilled Chicken"):
Ingredients:
Cut Chicken Parts. I use chicken thighs, as they cook nicely with the bone in. The skin MUST be left on! But you can use any other
cut chicken parts, as long as the skin is left on. This recipe doesn’t work well without the skin and it also doesn’t work well with a whole chicken as you must season and grill all sides of the chicken for the proper flavor. The chicken can be seasoned just before you place it on the grill. Just be sure that the chicken is totally thawed if it was previously frozen.
Dried Oregano
Onion Salt (no, don’t try it with only onion powder)
Preparation:
First, be sure the skin is in place and even on one side of the chicken. Sometimes you have to stretch it back into place.
Then sprinkle a generous amount of Onion Salt on each side of the chicken. If you use too little, the flavor won’t be right, if you use too much, the chicken will be too salty. So experiment. When I think I have put on too much, the flavor is just right!
Next add a generous amount of Dried Oregano on each side of the chicken. You can’t over do this as too much just won’t stick to the chicken, so don’t sprinkle it lightly. Note that I don't think fresh Oregeno will give the proper results.
Cooking:
It’s important to use a medium or low heat / slow cooking method, so as to minimize the amount of fat dripping and flair ups. I use a gas grill and first pre-heat the grill HOT. Then turn the burners down as low as they can go, the fairly inaccurate temperature guage on my grill shows about 350 to 400 degrees F. Some may not call this slow cooking, but we're grilling, not smoking the chicken. I cook it about 23 minutes on each side (for bone-in thighs).
I put the chicken on the grill, skin side up first (yes it's important), close the cover and wait 23 minutes. No peeking under the cover!
Flip the chicken over so the skin side is down and close the cover again for 23 minutes.
If you have chicken parts of various size and thickness, such as a combination of breasts, thighs, wings, legs, you will have to place the larger parts on the grill first (breasts), then the next thicker parts, until the wings are on. Then you will flip them all at the same time, but start taking the thinner parts off first (wings), and slowly proceeding until the last thickest breasts are removed. This takes practice to know how to time every part so they come out perfect. This is one of the reasons why I stick with the thighs. They are easy to cook, fairly uniform in size and always come out tender and juicy.
When time is up, it’s done! Or if you don't have the time figured out for your particular grill, it's done when the meat next to the bone is no longer pink, and the juices run clear when you cut into the meat next to the bone. The skin should be crispy and golden brown. If the skin is coming out charred, your heat is too high.
Of course, your grill may have different heat, so you may have to adjust the time a little. I find that I have to cook a little longer if it’s windy/cold out (Here in NH I cook even when the snow is flying), or a bit shorter if there is no wind and it’s hot out.
If you cook it properly, the skin will be a golden crispy (not blackened nor burned, but crispy), and the meat will be tender and moist. If you over cook it, the meat will be dry and tougher. It has come out perfect if the skin is golden and crispy and the chicken is just cooked enough (just past the pink stage when checked next to the bone). It’s all about time and temperature control.
Important Marine Cooking Note: This recipe doesn't work well on the small 'Magma' gas marine grills for boats as they get too hot. I have to constantly take the chicken off and wait for the fat to burn off, then place the chicken back on again, all while having the top open. I sometimes end up taking the chicken off a bit early and then wrapping all the chicken totally in aluminum foil, this let the residual heat in the chicken continue to cook the centers, while I was preparing other things. I think the chicken can sit for about 20 or 30 minutes wrapped in the foil. It will still be tender and warm, but the skin isn't as good as when used on a larger grill that can cook slower.
People often try to suggest that you can partially pre-cooking (or par-boiling)the chicken, and then grilling to finish, if you try this method, you will not get as nice of a crispy, flavorful skin. It's just not the same results by a long shot!
I often get people raving about this simple to prepare dish.
Let me know how you like it!
Enjoy!