Simple Broiled Chicken
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
45 minutes, plus 1 hour brining
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Though we recommend brining, you may bypass this step if pressed for time; simply skip step 1 and season the chicken generously with salt and pepper before broiling. This recipe will work only in broilers with adjustable racks, not fixed-height broilers. If you’re making either the garlic rub or the dipping sauce (see related recipes) to flavor the chicken, prepare it while the chicken is brining.
Instructions
- In gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag, dissolve kosher salt and sugar in 1 quart of water. Add chicken and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible; refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Remove from brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Meanwhile, adjust one oven rack to lowest position and other rack to upper-middle position (top rack should be about 5 inches from heating element; bottom rack should be 13 inches away); heat broiler. Line bottom of broiler pan with foil and fit with slotted broiler-pan top. Make three diagonal slashes in skin of each chicken piece with sharp knife (do not cut into meat). Season both sides of chicken pieces with pepper and place skin-side down on broiler pan.
- Broil chicken on bottom rack until just beginning to brown, 12 to 16 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken skin-side up and continue to broil on bottom rack until skin is slightly crisp and thickest part of breast meat registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes (if some chicken parts are browning too quickly, cover only those pieces with small pieces of foil). Transfer breast pieces to plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Continue to broil thighs and drumsticks on bottom rack until thickest part of meat registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes longer. Return breast pieces skin-side up to pan and move pan to upper rack; broil until chicken is dark spotty brown and skin is thin and crisp, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Time
45 minutes, plus 1 hour briningYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Seeking a broiled chicken recipe that would produce moist, well-seasoned meat with a caramelized flavor and crisp skin in a short amount of time, we brined a cut-up chicken in a sugar and salt solution for better flavor, texture, and caramelization (thanks to the sugar) of the skin. Slashing the skin a few times before broiling allowed the fat in the skin to render, and cooking the chicken on the bottom shelf of the oven kept it moist and tender. To add flavor to our broiled chicken recipe, we used a simple rub or served it with a flavorful dipping sauce.
Before You Begin
Though we recommend brining, you may bypass this step if pressed for time; simply skip step 1 and season the chicken generously with salt and pepper before broiling. This recipe will work only in broilers with adjustable racks, not fixed-height broilers. If you’re making either the garlic rub or the dipping sauce (see related recipes) to flavor the chicken, prepare it while the chicken is brining.
Instructions
- In gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag, dissolve kosher salt and sugar in 1 quart of water. Add chicken and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible; refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Remove from brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Meanwhile, adjust one oven rack to lowest position and other rack to upper-middle position (top rack should be about 5 inches from heating element; bottom rack should be 13 inches away); heat broiler. Line bottom of broiler pan with foil and fit with slotted broiler-pan top. Make three diagonal slashes in skin of each chicken piece with sharp knife (do not cut into meat). Season both sides of chicken pieces with pepper and place skin-side down on broiler pan.
- Broil chicken on bottom rack until just beginning to brown, 12 to 16 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken skin-side up and continue to broil on bottom rack until skin is slightly crisp and thickest part of breast meat registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes (if some chicken parts are browning too quickly, cover only those pieces with small pieces of foil). Transfer breast pieces to plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Continue to broil thighs and drumsticks on bottom rack until thickest part of meat registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes longer. Return breast pieces skin-side up to pan and move pan to upper rack; broil until chicken is dark spotty brown and skin is thin and crisp, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
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