People love Alton Brown, and his scientific approach to cooking is well known. He makes his famous “ring of fire” grilled chicken by using a clever setup that lets him sear the chicken over high heat and then cook it slowly over lower indirect heat. Brown’s bi-level cooking method makes chicken that is beautifully charred on the outside and juicy on the inside.
So you can grill chicken like Alton Brown, here’s a step-by-step guide to his famous method.
Choose Bone-In Chicken Thighs
When Alton Brown grills chicken, he likes to use thighs with the skin still on instead of breasts. He thinks that direct heat makes chicken breasts dry out quickly. Because chicken thighs have more fat and connective tissue, they stay more juicy on the grill. The bone also helps retain moisture. Brown cuts a 4- to 5-pound broiler-fryer chicken into 6 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, and 2 breast halves for his ring of fire chicken.
Brine the Chicken
To season the chicken and keep it extra juicy, Brown first brines it in a saltwater solution. He combines 1 quart of water with 1/2 cup of honey and 3/4 cups of kosher salt. After cutting up the chicken, he submerges the pieces in the brine and lets them soak for 1 1/2 hours in the refrigerator. The salt helps flavor and tenderize the meat while the honey adds subtle sweetness.
Apply a Smoky Spice Rub
After brining, Brown dries the chicken pieces very well and coats them with a flavorful spice rub. He mixes together spices like curry powder, chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. The blend of spices gives the chicken a sweet yet smoky heat. Let the rubbed chicken rest for 30 minutes before grilling so the spices really penetrate the meat.
Set Up a Ring of Fire
Here’s where Alton Brown’s unique ring of fire technique comes into play. He sets up a circular foil ring in the center of his charcoal grill. This creates two heat zones – very hot direct heat around the outer perimeter and cooler indirect heat in the center.
To make the ring, Brown lights a full chimney starter of charcoal. Then he places a 9 inch circular foil ring over the chimney and tops it with a pie pan to catch drippings. After about 15-20 minutes, when the coals are ready, he carefully pours them out around the foil ring.
Sear then Finish Indirectly
Brown’s ring of fire lets him sear the chicken over very hot direct heat and then cook it slowly over indirect heat. He puts the chicken pieces over the hot coals around the edges, skin side down. Once both sides are browned, Brown moves the chicken to the middle so it can finish cooking over low heat.
He covers the breast pieces with another pie pan and nestles the thighs and legs around the outer pan to shield them from direct heat. This prevents them from overcooking. Brown turns the chicken frequently and continually monitors doneness with a meat thermometer until each piece reaches 155°F.
Rest and Carve the Chicken
Once cooked, Brown lets the chicken rest for 5 minutes under a towel before slicing and serving. To carve the breast pieces, he positions them on a cutting board with the thin end facing him. Then he slices parallel to the breast bone, leaving a small flap of meat at one end so the slices fan out attractively for serving.
Tips for Grilling Chicken Like Alton Brown
To successfully execute Alton Brown’s ring of fire chicken technique, keep these tips in mind:
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Use natural lump charcoal for even heating and real wood flavor
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Allow enough time for the coals to become hot and ashy before grilling
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Keep the grill covered when not flipping or moving chicken to prevent flare-ups
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Use metal tongs and heat-resistant mitts for safe handling
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Check chicken often to prevent burning or drying out
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Let chicken rest before serving for juicier meat
With the right preparation and Brown’s bi-level cooking method, you can make perfectly juicy and flavorful grilled chicken worthy of the Good Eats star himself. Just be ready for the ring of fire!
Watch the Video!
Alton Brown: “No they dont, Kenji. They dont think about that all. And it kills me. ” (high-pitched laugh) So lets say that were going to cook two chicken breast pieces to the exact same internal temperature, but start them at completely different times, so that we have one that goes in hot and cooks for a shorter amount of time versus the one that. you know what, we should weigh them before they go in as well.
We have 99 grams and 111 grams. The 111 grams will go into a cool pan, and we’ll decide on a final temperature.
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt: Let me cool this pan quickly because its already smoking. AB: We see that he likes to live a risky life by pouring water directly into the hot oil pan, where it burns people in the third degree. Duly noted! Okay, what kind of surface temperature do you want to see? JLKA: 400?AB: At least. JKLA: 450?AB: So its okay to put your hands on the chicken and then stick em back in the salt. Okay, also noted. Good sanitation procedures. JKLA: Whats going to live in the salt?AB: Nothings going to live in the salt at all. Im just giving you crap. I think the interesting things going to be if we cook them both to the same doneness, if we pick a spot center mass, and we decide on a final temperature, 155, is going to be the comparison of weight of moisture loss. Im going to hypothesize that theres going to be more moisture loss out of chicken breast B. JKLA: Right, because were cooking it at a higher temperature the whole time. AB: Surface to mass ratio. Reading 161 center mass. #2 is of course way down from that. Da da da da. 78 grams. JKLA: Id say its About 78%, given that we started with basically 100. 99. AB: But its not exactly. I mean, if you wanna play all loosey goosey with the facts, thats your business. 78. 78% okay. This is primary research, man. Were in Harold McGee territory. Are we close to the same temperature?JKLA: Yep. Its too bad they dont make chicken breasts in completely uniform sizes. AB: Were working on it. were working on it. 84. 68%. I was guessing that the piece that went into the colder pan would, because of its reduced surface area, maybe retain more moisture, but indeed there is a relationship between time and moisture loss. So the piece that went into the hot pan stayed moister.
In order to quantify anything thats going on with your food, youve got to have measurements. JKLA: Yes. AB: Now ideally, we would have been measuring time. We didnt. But, not only did we weigh things, we weighed things digitally, in metric. JKLA: In metric, yes. AB: And we took careful temperatures, not only of the pan, but of the food, so weve got three data points. But this is still a pretty big trend. 84. 68% vs 78. 78%. JKLA: Yeah, thats not insignificant. AB: Lunch! Lunch is up. This is enough to feed like six girls from New York. JKLA: Well, its impossible to say without bias, because I know that this one lost more moisture, but. AB: I note it no difference whatsoever. JKLA: No?AB: So what weve learned is that it freaking doesnt matter. JKLA: Start with a good bird and dont mess it up?AB: Heres the other thing. Food tastes better when youre hungry. And meat is more tender when youre hungry because you produce more saliva. As Cervantes said, hunger is the best sauce.
How to Make Alton’s Ring of Fire Grilled Chicken | Food Network
FAQ
How to brown chicken on a grill?
How Long to Grill When the chicken breasts are browned, move them to the cooler side of the grate.
What temperature is Alton Brown chicken done?
Check bird in 10 minutes. If the skin is a dark mahogany, hold the drumstick ends with paper towels and flip bone-side up. Cook 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Juices must run clear.
How long to grill my chicken?
While all grills are different, most of the time you’ll be golden if you grill your chicken breasts for about 9-10 minutes, flipping the chicken breasts over at the halfway point so you get beautiful, even sear marks on each side of the chicken.
How to grill chicken without drying?
… chicken for more even cooking, brine or marinade for flavor and color, and grill over direct heat for grill marks, but finish over low heat to keep them juicy.
How do you cook chicken on a grill?
Cook the chicken over direct heat for three minutes to get gorgeous grill marks and then move to indirect heat, cover, and grill to 165°F before removing from the grill. Make the marinade. Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside. (Image credit: Joe Lingeman) Make the marinade.
How do you make grilled chicken really juicy?
The key steps to really juicy grilled chicken are kitchen essentials — lessons that even the most seasoned griller should revisit each year. Pound the chicken thin for more even cooking, brine or marinade for flavor and color, and grill over direct heat for grill marks, but finish over low heat to keep them juicy.
How long do you cook chicken wings on a grill?
After 9 to 10 minutes total cook time, move the breast to the center of the grill and cover with a second aluminum pie pan. After 10 to 11 minutes total cook time, put the wings on top of the pie pan.
What do you need to cook chicken on a grill?
What you’ll need: Grill Thermometer: This accurately checks the chicken’s internal temperature to make sure it reaches 165°F, which is the safest level for eating. Grilling Utensils: Use tongs and a spatula designed for grilling. These keep your hands safe from heat while flipping or moving chicken.
Which Grill is best for cooking chicken?
Charcoal burns hotter, making it great for searing chicken. However, it takes longer to heat up and requires more maintenance. Gas Grills: Gas grills offer convenience and precise temperature control. They heat up quickly and allow for easy adjustments, ideal for beginners.