Grilling Chicken Chops

[fatmouse76]

Hii all, I have never done grilling before and I have bought a grill pan from IKEA. I am wanting to try to grill chicken breast or chicken chops on it.

Do I have to cut the chicken very thin ? I prefer it more in 1 piece something like a steak. My main worry is that it will turn brown outside and stay raw inside.

Please help to give some tips.

Thanks !!

[Captain Cook]

grill pan is good for lamb chops, salmon and sausages anything with fat basically. As for chicken, keep the skin on and bang it down thin and then cook. Chicken tends to be dry so you can add little oil to the chicken. Always wait till the pan is well hot

[chook]

 I could never cook chicken chops evenly before I bought a grill pan. Now it's a piece of cake. Just under 5 minutes per side and it comes out beautifully by the time you put it on the table. But the key, as the above poster notes, is to use the pan and some clingfilm to flatten all the chicken pieces to around 2.5 cm or so to ensure even cooking. I take the skin off and do all sorts of dry rubs, cut them up and serve them as a chicken caesar salad. Fifteen minutes from fridge to table. If you buy the, er, triple-D American chicken breasts you'll have to add a fair bit of extra time to the cooking process. One thing you need to watch is not to put a sauce with sugar in it on the chicken and then grill it. You'll be cleaning a gummy mess of the pan for weeks. Dab it on the cooked side as you go. If you've been marinating in a sweet liquid, try wiping off most of that liquid and ensure the pan and chicken are oiled.

[Chef Robo]

You can either flatten the chicken on the thickest part to make it a more even width or you can slice (or score) the chicken a few times on the thickest part so that the heat can penetrate more evenly (google for this to see what I mean if you're not sure).

I never leave the skin on because I don't like it, but that's entirely a taste preference (and health preference as there's more fat in the skin).  I don't add oil either.

A few weeks ago I bought a meat hammer from Ikea and that works well for flattening meat (before that I used a rolling pin but it wasn't as good).

In the grill pan base, I put tin foil as it helps to keep the pan from getting too dirty (easier to clean that way).

[chook2]

 I forgot to add you can also use your grill as a poor man's panini press, just add a weight or press down with a metal spatula. great toasted cheese sandwiches or flat bread sandwiches, toasted wraps etc.