How Long to Cook Butterflied Chicken Breast on a Gas Grill for Juicy, Tender Results

Grilled chicken breast is a classic summer meal. It’s juicy, tender, and full of flavor from the grill when it’s cooked right. But it’s easy to cook chicken breast too long, which makes it dry and chewy.

Butterflying or spatchcocking the chicken breast helps it cook more evenly But you still need to know how long to cook it to get the best results

In this article, I’ll explain exactly how long you need to cook butterflied chicken breast on a gas grill Follow these simple tips and you’ll have perfectly cooked chicken every time.

What is a Butterflied Chicken Breast?

Butterflying means cutting the chicken breast horizontally nearly all the way through and opening it up so it lays flat This helps the chicken breast cook more evenly since the meat is one even thickness

A regular boneless, skinless chicken breast can have bulky sections that lead to overcooking. Butterflying solves this problem.

Benefits of Butterflying Chicken Breast

There are a few advantages to butterflying chicken breasts before grilling:

• Cooks evenly: As mentioned, butterflying creates an even thickness so no part of the chicken cooks faster than another.

• It cooks faster because butterflying the chicken makes more surface area, so it cooks faster than a whole breast.

• Added surface for browning and flavors: More surface area = more room for getting beautifully browned and caramelized bits.

• Easy to portion: Butterflying makes it easy to pound the chicken into smaller cutlets for serving.

• Absorbs marinades better: The open structure allows marinades to penetrate deeper into the meat.

How to Butterfly a Chicken Breast

Butterflying a chicken breast is simple to do:

1. Use a sharp knife to slice the chicken breast horizontally almost all the way through. Leave about 1⁄2 inch uncut.

2. Open up the chicken breast like a book to lay it flat. You can further pound it to a uniform thickness.

3. If desired, separate halves so you have two thinner cutlets.

Be sure your knife is sharp for clean cuts. Avoid hacking or tearing the meat.

How Long to Cook Chicken Breast on Gas Grill

There are a few things that affect how long boneless, skinless chicken breasts take to cook on a gas grill:

• Thickness of the breast
• Bone-in or boneless
• Butterflied or whole
• Grill temperature
• Use of direct or indirect heat

In general, it takes 6 to 8 minutes per side for a chicken breast that has been butterflyed to cook on a gas grill that has already been heated up.

Thicker breasts take closer to 8 minutes per side. Thinner cutlets may only need 4-5 minutes per side.

Always rely on a meat thermometer for doneness instead of just cook time. Chicken is safely cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Gas Grill Temp for Chicken Breast

• For direct grilling: Heat your gas grill to medium-high, around 400°F. This gives you a nice sear while cooking the chicken through.

• For indirect grilling: Use a lower temperature, around 300-350°F, and cook the chicken off to the side of the burners. The ambient heat from the grill cooks the chicken more gently.

Indirect heat works well if the chicken was marinated or basted with a sticky sauce that could burn over direct heat.

Direct vs. Indirect Grilling

You can use either direct or indirect heat to cook butterflied chicken breasts on a gas grill:

Direct Heat

• Cooks directly over the lit grill burners
• Gets hotter, so great for searing
• Creates grill marks
• Best for relatively quick cooking like boneless chicken breast
• Higher risk of burning

Indirect Heat

• Cooks to the side of a burner, using ambient heat
• More gentle, even heating
• No grill marks
• Good for larger or thicker cuts that require longer cook time
• Keeps temperature more consistent

Bone-In vs. Boneless Chicken Breasts

Bone-in chicken breasts take longer to cook than boneless since the bone partly shields the meat and slows cooking.

For bone-in chicken breasts, allow:

• Butterflied: Cook for 18-22 minutes total
• Whole: Cook for 22-28 minutes total

Flip the chicken halfway through. Always rely on an instant read thermometer to check for 165°F doneness.

Tips for Moist, Juicy Chicken Breasts

• Don’t cook over high heat. Medium heat allows the interior to cook through before the outside burns.

• Butterfly thick breasts. Creates an even thickness for consistent cooking.

• Brine the chicken. Soaking in a saltwater brine makes chicken extra juicy.

• Use a meat thermometer. Don’t overcook – chicken is done at 165°F.

• Let it rest. Letting it rest 5 minutes allows juices to redistribute.

How to Tell When Chicken Breast is Done

Checking chicken with an instant read thermometer is the most reliable way to tell when it’s done. Whole chicken, including breasts, are safely cooked to 165°F.

Here are signs chicken is thoroughly cooked:

• Reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer
• Opaque white flesh with no sign of pink
• Clear, not red, juices run from the meat
• Meat pulls apart easily with a fork

If in doubt, keep cooking until the thermometer confirms it’s reached a safe temperature throughout.

Undercooked chicken poses a health risk from bacteria like salmonella. So always cook thoroughly to 165°F.

Common Mistakes and Solutions

It’s easy to over or undercook chicken on the grill. Here are some common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Mistake: Chicken breast is dry and chewy

Solution: Don’t overcook. Use a meat thermometer for 165°F doneness.

Mistake: Chicken burns or sticks to the grates

Solution: Clean and oil the grates. Use medium heat, not high.

Mistake: Chicken breast is raw or pink in the middle

Solution: Cook for a few minutes longer until thermometer reads 165°F.

Mistake: Chicken breast has no char or grill marks

Solution: Use direct heat. Let the breast get nice color before flipping.

Butterflied Chicken Breast Grilling Times Chart

For easy reference, here are approximate grilling times for butterflied chicken breasts:

The times are for boneless, skinless chicken breasts grilled over direct heat on a preheated gas grill.

Bone-in breasts take longer. Indirect heat also increases cook time. Always check internal temperature.

Sample Butterflied Chicken Breast Grilling Schedule

Here is a sample timeline for grilling juicy, tender butterflied chicken breasts:

• 30 minutes before grilling, remove chicken from fridge
• Heat gas grill to medium-high heat, around 400°F
• Pat chicken dry and coat with oil or dry rub
• Clean and oil grill grates
• Place chicken directly over lit burner
• Grill first side for 6 minutes
• Flip chicken and grill second side for 6 minutes
• Check internal temperature to ensure 165°F
• Remove chicken and let rest 5 minutes
• Slice and serve chicken

Adjust times as needed based on thickness. Plus make sure to get those nice grill marks before flipping!

Incredibly Juicy Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe

This easy recipe for grilled chicken breast uses butterflying and brining to deliver ultra moist, tender chicken.

Ingredients:

• 4 small chicken breasts, butterflied
• 2 quarts water
• 1⁄4 cup kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Oil for brushing

Instructions:

1. Make brine: Mix water, salt, sugar, garlic powder and pepper until salt and sugar dissolve. Add chicken breasts. Brine 30 minutes up to 4 hours.

2. Remove chicken from brine and pat very dry with paper towels. Set aside.

3. Preheat gas grill to medium-high heat. Clean and lightly oil the grates.

4. Coat chicken all over with a little oil. Grill skin-side down first if using bone-in chicken.

5. Grill over direct heat for 6-8 minutes per side until cooked through (165°F).

6. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

The brining keeps the chicken incredibly moist while grilling. Enjoy your perfect grilled chicken!

Properly grilling juicy, tender chicken breast starts with butterflying. Cook butterflied chicken breasts over direct, medium-high heat on a preheated gas grill for 4-8 minutes per side depending on thickness. Rely on a meat thermometer to determine doneness.

Let the chicken rest before serving for juicier results. Brining also helps keep grilled chicken breasts incredibly moist.

With these simple tips, you’ll be a pro at cooking chicken on the grill. Impress your family and friends with your perfect grilled chicken this summer.

Flattened chicken breasts, when grilled over medium-high heat, typically take 2 to 3 minutes per side.