Keep your chicken from sticking to the grill. From canola oil to grill brushes, these four easy hacks will keep grilled meat tender and intact.
Few things get under the skin of a grill master more than chicken sticking to the grill.
After toiling over the grill, it can be really disheartening to see half of it come loose when you try to lift it off the grill grate.
How can we prevent that too?
In short, it can be prevented with four simple tricks.
The first is to lightly brush the chicken with olive oil before placing it on the grill. The second is to try to keep your chicken in a temperature range of 425°F to 450°F. If you go over this, your chicken will tend to stick to the grill.
Using oil with a high smoke point ensures your oil doesn’t reach a temperature where it starts to form a carbon glue that effectively bonds meat and food together.
After that, time is a crucial factor. Prepare to grill your chicken for 4 1/2 minutes per side. If you try to turn or remove the chicken and it’s still stuck, simply close the grill lid and wait another 30-60 seconds.
Those are the four principles to follow. Let’s take a closer look at how you can always make sure your chicken never sticks to the grill.
Why does meat stick to the grill?
The main reasons meat like chicken, fish or beef sticks to the cooking grates is that the meat is not hot enough or the cooking grates are dirty or don’t have enough oil to act as a lubricant.
Scientifically speaking, when the meat’s proteins bond with the metal of the grates, which cannot be broken down until the outer layer of meat begins to dry out and get grill marks.
If your meat also contains rich condiments or sauces, the sugar content of those ingredients can char during cooking and stick to the grill.
Oil the meat
We often think of oil as a lubricant for our grilling or cooking surfaces, but we often forget that that’s only half the equation.
Applying a thin layer of oil to your chicken can help keep the meat from sticking to the grilling surface.
Use a paper towel to lightly blot your chicken. Apply seasonings of your choice and then use a grill brush to lightly coat the meat with a thin layer of olive oil.
Transfer the chicken to the grill. If your chicken has skin, put that layer on the grill first. This is because there tends to be less meat on this side to stick to the grates.
If you let that side cook for a few minutes, the other side should be slightly dry, reducing the chance of it sticking to the grill when you flip it.
Sear the chicken for 4.5 minutes on each side before turning and searing for an additional 4.5 minutes.
If the chicken is still stuck to the grates, simply allow it to cook for another 30-60 seconds before attempting to turn or remove it again.
Clean your grill
Look, I know cleaning your grill after each use is a chore and I don’t like it at all.
But it’s safe to say that with each use, your grill will develop more layers of dirt and chemicals that can affect your meat with each use.
Your cooking grates are made of metal with perforated pores, and additional uses will clog them and create an extra surface for your meat to stick to.
Allow your grill to cool slightly after each use, but clean while it’s still fairly hot to help loosen oils and dirt. Clean it with a scouring pad and soapy water. Be sure to let the grates dry completely before placing them back on the grill or they will become prone to rusting.
For complete cleaning instructions, see my post on cleaning cast iron grills .
Use oil with a high smoke point
While many guides will tell you to oil your grates, that’s only half the story.
Be sure to also use oil with a high smoke point. Oils on the lower end of the scale smoke before they reach the 400°F target temperature, meaning they turn to carbon and form the binding agents that allow the meat to adhere to the surface of the pan.
Oils like sunflower oil or palm oil have smoke points around 450°F, which is ideal for grilling. Canola oil also has a high smoke point, around 400°F.
Preheat your grill
While it’s tempting to immediately put the meat on the grill and let it do its job, it’s important to let the grill reach the desired temperature before placing the meat on it.
It’s fun to hear that lovely hiss as you place the meat on the cooking surface, but there’s so much more to it than that.
When the meat touches the hot meat on the grill, steam is generated. This will prevent meat proteins from sticking to the metal grates.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
