Grilling Poultry

The Basics of Chicken and Turkey

Poultry is one of the most versatile meats to cook on your BeefEater. From whole chicken and turkey through to chicken pieces - poultry lends itself admirably to many varied methods of barbecuing.

With the addition of a roasting hood and rotisserie for spit roasting, a host of exciting, mouthwatering recipes can be prepared and cooked on your BeefEater.

Basic techniques

Keep it moist: Regardless of the recipe, the real secret of barbecuing poultry lies in keeping the meat moist during cooking. In most cases this is achieved by either marinating the meat prior to cooking, or brushing the meat during cooking with marinades or sauces. This not only keeps the meat moist and juicy, but depending on the marinade or sauce being used, also adds extra flavor.

Never serve rare: Unlike other meats, poultry should never be served rare. It must be cooked right through. As such, care must be taken to ensure that the outside is not burnt and the inside raw. To overcome this problem it's preferable when cooking smaller cuts by the direct method, to cook slowly, without excessive heat. The food can then be browned and crisped by increasing the heat in the latter stages of cooking.

Direct Vs Indirect Cooking

Smaller cuts of chicken and turkey is breast, thigh, fillets, wings etc are best cooked on a preheated plate (griddle) or grill. The choice between using the plate (griddle) or grill, is purely a matter of personal choice. The plate (griddle) in effect fries the meat, whereas the grill exposes the meat to direct flame, creating a more traditional, smokey, barbecue taste.

Larger cuts of chicken and turkey are best cooked slowly by the indirect method of cooking with the roasting hood down.

Whole chickens, turkey and game can be cooked either on a rotisserie, in a baking dish, or using the butterfly method.

Butterfly Poultry

To prepare butterfly poultry, simply cut the backbone out completely and flatten out it so that it can be cooked flat on the plate (griddle) or grill. It is cooked slowly by the direct method, turning frequently and basting to keep the meat moist.

Cooking Times

Cooking times for poultry vary according to the weight and/or thickness of the cut. However as a guide whole chicken generally requires 40 - 50 minutes per kg (18 -23 minutes per 1b) at approximately 180°C (355°F). Two burners on medium with the roasting hood down produces approximately 195°C (385°F) for the 3, 4 and 5 burner model. Two burners on medium for the 2 burner model produces approximately 205°C (400°F)