The proper way to charcoal grill chicken for smoky perfection

As far as grilled chicken is concerned, nothing can beat the smokiness of a charcoal that is so distinctive. When applied to professional kitchens and major catering services, as well as BBQ restaurants, learning how to charcoal grill in the best way possible is a culinary technique more than a craft to master in order to satisfy your customers and impress them with your uniqueness in the market. Nevertheless, mastering the proper way to charcoal grill chicken involves selecting the best cuts of meat, the appropriate selection of the type of charcoal to be used, and the proper control of heat.

Working with chefs, restaurant owners and food service operators globally, we at Vietnam Charcoal are eager to market the high quality charcoal products to see through consistent results in the mouths of their individual customers, whether tender chicken wings on a busy BBQ buffet line or a fine dining roasted whole chicken. Today we will give you everything you need to know about grilling chicken on a charcoal grill to achieve smoky perfection.

Choosing the right chicken cuts for the proper way to charcoal grill

Selecting the right cut is the first thing that involves having perfection in the way you cook grilled chicken and as well as the way you will serve.

• Breast – Lean, cooks very fast, and dries out easily, when overcooked. Grill best using indirect heat so as not to dry out.
• Thighs – Substantive, powerful, and less constricting to cooking periods. It is ideal in restaurants that require a standard output especially in case of rush hours.
• Wings – This is perfect when needing the BBQ in bulk and when a buffet is to be served. They are very fast to cook and absorb luscious smoky tastes.

With whole chicken, indirect heat is vital when you intend to grill. The entire bird takes more time to cook and make sure that the innermost parts of the bird should be cooked to the correct internal temperature or the skin starts to burn.

The practical ones are thighs and wings when planning to serve a large number of BBQs. These are less difficult to handle on the grill, provide uniform texture, and reduce waste, making them ideal when following the proper way to charcoal grill for large-scale service.

Ideal charcoal types for grilling chicken

Charcoal is not made the same way everywhere, and choosing the right type is a key step in the proper way to charcoal grill chicken. The kind of charcoal you use influences flavor, duration of the burn and heat of your grilled chicken.

Lump charcoal

Lump charcoal is also appreciated because of its quality to heat fast and attain high cooking temperatures within a very short period. It burns away giving off a clean, natural smoky smell that includes the natural flavor of the chicken without adding any other unwanted flavors. It will therefore work very well to grill smaller bits of chicken or to come up with a la carte meals, be it in speed or in taste.

Sawdust Briquettes

Sawdust briquettes have a long and continual burning point and give out steady heat throughout. They are economical to use because they would be good alternatives in professional kitchens or in a catering service where there is a need to constantly grill without making refills to the fuel. They are also easier to put in a stack and are simple to manage in a frantic kitchen because of their uniform shape.

White charcoal (Binchotan)

White charcoal, also known as Binchotan is exceptionally hot, with an enduring and high heat, and with a little smoke and flavor. It is perfectly convenient for indoor grilling and high-grade BBQ service where the cleanliness of the cooking environment is relevant. It is composed of silicon, and its distinctive ability to hold heat will enable any chef to have the perfect temperature control needed to cook chicken in perfection.

Pro tip from Vietnam Charcoal when finding out proper way to charcoal grill: Whether you need to run a busy street BBQ stand or restaurant kitchen in a five-star hotel or anything in the middle, we have all three types of charcoal in bulk supply. We use quality hardwoods such as eucalyptus and longan to produce our lump charcoal, our sawdust briquettes are an even proportions of good quality, clean sawdust which is pressed and our white charcoal is used by chefs because of its super heat absorptivity.

Temperature control and cooking time in the proper way to charcoal grill

The grilled chicken should be perfect and perfection is all about precision. Improperly cooked chicken is dangerous on the one hand, and the overcooked chicken becomes dry and tasteless on the other hand.

• Ideal internal temperature: ~74°C (165°F).
• Thighs and wings: Grill for 20–25 minutes, turning occasionally.
• Breast: Cook indirectly for 25–30 minutes to prevent dryness.

Always test using a meat thermometer or a skewer will tell you juices should not be pink.

White charcoal will enable you to easily control the temperature because it has a consistent and long lasting heat. This is very convenient in professional kitchens where they need the consistency most.

On large orders, prepare many heat zones, a searing one and a lower temperature one. This enables you to regulate batches better and deliver chocolate chicken cooked to perfection — exactly what the proper way to charcoal grill is all about.

Common mistakes to avoid when grilling chicken

Mistakes are possible even in chefs that are experienced and this makes the grilled chicken taste bad.

• Cooking over excessive high heat → burn the skin ahead of cooking the inside.
• Using too little or unevenly distributed charcoal → leads to uneven cooking.
• Using charcoal with impurities → gives a bad aftertaste, smokes.
• Skipping the resting period → leads to loss of juices through escape thus the meat will be dry.

The aforementioned faults being avoided will lead to an improvement in taste and texture but also customer satisfaction, and in the food business, customer satisfaction translates to customer reviews and repeat orders, reinforcing why knowing the proper way to charcoal grill is so important.

Why Vietnamese Charcoal makes a difference

There are major reasons why Vietnamese Charcoal has earned a great reputation amongst foreign chefs and food service suppliers. It burns clean and even, it is produced using sustainable hardwoods that are processed with special attention to eliminate impurities. The long heat retention time is a significant feature of this grill since it can fit well in busy kitchens where there is a need to keep grills hot especially when a barbecue place is indoors or semi-indored. What is also significant is its flexibility, which ranges between sawdust briquettes that are suited to high-volume restaurants at the one end and white charcoal that suits fine dining establishments at the other. Vietnam Charcoal has products that are equal to the demands of any restaurant or shop.

Vietnam Charcoal offers some obvious benefits to B2B buyers. The company also functions with a bulk supply processing of up to 150 containers in a month and also has the potential of providing private label or OEM that suits brands that would wish to modify their products. Every export comes along with full documentation which includes Certificates of Origin, SGS certification and safety compliance. Vietnam Charcoal ships anywhere in the world and has options on packaging as well so that professional kitchens can get good quality, reliable charcoal when they require it.

Conclusion

Finding the golden balance of the right chicken cuts, the right type of charcoal and the perfect temperature control is the proper way to charcoal grill for consistent results. Professional kitchens, as well as large-scale BBQ, are all about consistency and that is what right fuel is all about.

At Vietnam Charcoal, our charcoal sawdust briquettes and lump charcoal is used by chefs, restaurateurs, and other catering industries across the globe to meet the distinctive smoky perfection in cooking. Whether it be a busy street market in Dubai or a five star restaurant in Tokyo, we can give you the heat to deliver an unbeatable taste.