How long to grill chicken each side

Grilling or ‘griddling’ is a popular cooking method when it comes to cooking chicken. It keeps it moist, is often healthier than frying and leaves you with a delicious charred flavour. Grilling chicken requires a cast iron skillet pan. Follow this guide for tips and recipe ideas.

Tips on grilling chicken

How to flatten chicken

Flattening chicken creates a uniform thickness and therefore ensures the fillet is evenly cooked. This is usually a chicken breast, but if you’re using a thigh fillet just open it up first. To flatten chicken, take these steps:

1. Cut two squares of parchment paper that are around the same size.
2. Lay one piece of parchment on your work surface. Place a chicken breast on top of it.
3. Top with the second piece of paper and lightly bash with a rolling pin or meat cleaver until it reaches a uniform thickness of around 1.5cm.

How to marinate chicken

If you have time, it's a good idea to marinate the chicken before grilling. Submerging the meat in an acidic marinade like lemon juice or vinegar will ensure the meat is juicy and tender. Strong herbs, chillies, spices and aromatics will penetrate through the meat and add flavour.

1. Set a cast iron ridged skillet pan over a high heat for around 7-10 mins to get really hot.
2. Flatten the chicken to around 1.5cm in thickness (as per the method above).
3. If the chicken is marinated in oil, put it directly on the hot griddle. If it hasn’t been marinated, drizzle each piece with ½ tbsp oil and season well with salt. Don’t season with black pepper as this will catch on the hot pan and burn.
4. Cook the chicken on each side for 4-5 mins if it’s a breast and 6-8 mins for thigh, turning with a pair of tongs. Leave to rest, covered, for 5 mins before serving.

5 of our best grilled chicken recipes

1. Grilled peach, chicken & feta salad

Try this summery salad with fruit slices and tangy feta – the tender grilled chicken is the star of the show.

Grilled peach, chicken & feta salad

2. Crunchy beetroot slaw with grilled chicken

Serve a substantial salad with crunchy strips of apple and beetroot alongside chicken breast.

Crunchy beetroot slaw with grilled chicken

3. Lemon chicken with fruit olive couscous

Using a zesty marinade, the meat stays wonderfully juicy and tender.

Lemon chicken with fruit olive couscous

4. Grilled chicken with spicy guacamole & corn chips

Try this juicy chicken dish bursting with Mexican-inspired flavours.

Grilled chicken with spicy guacamole & corn chips

5. Griddled chicken with quinoa Greek salad

With fibre-filled grains and healthy fresh tomatoes, this refreshing recipe works well as part of a buffet.

Griddled chicken with quinoa Greek salad

Discover more chicken recipes:

24 recipe ideas for grilled chicken
The best healthy chicken recipes
Quick chicken dinner ideas
Budget family chicken recipes
The ultimate chicken salad recipe collection

Or try these handy cookery guides:

How to marinate chicken
How to butterfly chicken breasts
How to handle raw chicken
How to cook chicken breast

Learn how to make the best tender, juicy and delicious chicken breasts right on your stove-top in a grill pan or cast iron pan. 

Because we don’t always have access to the outdoor grill year round, I make the chicken on the stove-top most of the time. To make tender juicy grilled chicken you will need a heavy duty grill pan. A cast iron pan with ridges works best but if your cast iron pan doesn’t have ridges, you can still grill the chicken on it too.

For the seasoning, I usually switch it up each time I make the chicken and don’t really measure but for the sake of this recipe I’ve included my favorite herb and seasoning mix. You can also used a packet of taco seasoning or your favorite herbs and spices and make it your own.

• 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts about 4 oz each
• 1 teaspoon Dried or fresh basil cilantro or parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon brown or granulated sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon or lime optional
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Combine all the dry seasoning in a small bowl. Season both sides of the chicken with the dry seasoning mix.

• Heat a heavy duty grill pan to high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-high and add the oil to the pan and make sure the entire pan is coated with oil.

• Add the chicken breasts to pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on the first side without moving, until the undersides develop dark grill marks. Flip the chicken breasts using a pair of tongs or a fork and cook the other side for 5-6 minutes.

• Turn off heat and allow chicken breasts to rest in pan for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with lemon or lime before serving (optional).

* Optional: pound chicken breasts to even thickness using a meat tenderizer or a rolling-pin.

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