# Is it possible to cook chicken on grill pan?



## rush (Aug 9, 2010)

And grill pan, only?

I noticed all the recipes for chicken legs on a grill pan, suggest you either start or finish the cooking process in the oven (or an outdoor grill). 

I try to stay away from the oven, because my roommates have about 10 or 12 pots and pans in it, and I'd have to clear it out and then put it back in. Plus, oven = too much time.

If possible, I'd like to avoid the oven, but so far, I haven't really come across a chicken leg recipe that relies solely on a grill pan. There was one that did, but some of the comments suggested that they finished it off in the oven.

I have a horrible tendency to opt for fastfood, and I just really like the idea of coming home from work or working out, tossing some marinated legs on the grill pan, and eating it after a few short minutes, as opposed to waiting an hour for it to finish in the oven.

But is it possible, without completely burning and ruining the chicken?


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## Linux (Aug 9, 2010)

rush said:


> And grill pan, only?
> 
> I noticed all the recipes for chicken legs on a grill pan, suggest you either start or finish the cooking process in the oven (or an outdoor grill).
> 
> ...




Where I come from, you could cook chicken on a car's bonnet in midsummer. 

Whatever you decide for your recipe, chicken first browned in a pan brings out its flavour. What I like are pans you can put straight into the oven from the top of the stove. A good one is Le Creuset, though it is heavy. 

Bearing in mind you should not cremate your chicken, get the pan hot until you see a light heat haze, then carefully lay your pieces down into the oil. It will only take a minute or so to brown the meat; lower the fire to about medium heat, so the chicken doesn't dry out. 

"Fast food" to me is food cooked fast in a blazingly busy, commercial kitchen. Anything else is just plain genteel.


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## DaveSoMD (Aug 9, 2010)

Toaster oven?


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## Andy M. (Aug 9, 2010)

After searing grill marks onto the chicken, turn the heat down and cover the pan as tightly as possible and continue to cook it slowly until the interior is done.


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## rush (Aug 9, 2010)

Linux said:


> Where I come from, you could cook chicken on a car's bonnet in midsummer.
> 
> Whatever you decide for your recipe, chicken first browned in a pan brings out its flavour. What I like are pans you can put straight into the oven from the top of the stove. A good one is Le Creuset, though it is heavy.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks, my grill pan is Le Creuset, but I was hoping I can avoid the oven. I'll try it out and see what happens... 

And you're right about the "heavy" part.


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## rush (Aug 9, 2010)

Andy M. said:


> After searing grill marks onto the chicken, turn the heat down and cover the pan as tightly as possible and continue to cook it slowly until the interior is done.


 
Unfortunately, my grill pan didn't come with a cover.


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## rush (Aug 9, 2010)

DaveSoMD said:


> Toaster oven?


 
My roommate has one, but I was really hoping for a one-stop cooking on the grill pan.


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## Andy M. (Aug 9, 2010)

rush said:


> Unfortunately, my grill pan didn't come with a cover.



Grill pans don't come with covers, you have to improvise.  Something as simple as a flat piece of cardboard or plywood covered in foil would work.  The objective is to keep heat in the pan so it cooks the chicken (or other foods).  If the make shift lid is too light, place a weight (can of soup or something) on it so it covers tightly.


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## rush (Aug 9, 2010)

Andy M. said:


> Grill pans don't come with covers, you have to improvise. Something as simple as a flat piece of cardboard or plywood covered in foil would work. The objective is to keep heat in the pan so it cooks the chicken (or other foods). If the make shift lid is too light, place a weight (can of soup or something) on it so it covers tightly.


 
How would a flat piece of cardboard seal in the heat? Wouldn't it have to be sort of bowl shaped? Oh wait, you're telling me to literally place the cardboard on top of the grill pan. 

I've seen some chefs, like Bobby Flay place a tin bowl on top of his grill, but I don't really have any "bowls" that can withstand the heat from the grill pan.

But that cardboard wrapped in foil, sounds simple yet effective. Not sure though, if the sides of my grill pan is high enough... the cardboard might be touching the chicken legs. 

I'll definitely take this into consideration. Thanks!


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## Andy M. (Aug 9, 2010)

rush said:


> ... Not sure though, if the sides of my grill pan is high enough... the cardboard might be touching the chicken legs.
> 
> I'll definitely take this into consideration. Thanks!



I didn't consider the height of the legs.  

The whole point is to sear the legs over high heat then continue cooking over low heat so the interior cooks properly.  This last part should be done in a covered vessel or the oven to contain the heat.

I actually don't care for grill pans because they complicate to cooking process.  I'd rather use a cast iron skillet or tri-ply stainless  that can be lidded or go into the oven.


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## Kayelle (Aug 10, 2010)

Rush, you don't really need a lid.  Just use foil, it will be a "tight enough" seal to get it up to required doneness for chicken.  If you don't have and instant read thermometer, get one.
Hope this helps.


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## rush (Aug 11, 2010)

Andy M. said:


> I didn't consider the height of the legs.
> 
> The whole point is to sear the legs over high heat then continue cooking over low heat so the interior cooks properly. This last part should be done in a covered vessel or the oven to contain the heat.
> 
> I actually don't care for grill pans because they complicate to cooking process. I'd rather use a cast iron skillet or tri-ply stainless that can be lidded or go into the oven.


 
Thanks for all the advice!


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## rush (Aug 11, 2010)

Kayelle said:


> Rush, you don't really need a lid. Just use foil, it will be a "tight enough" seal to get it up to required doneness for chicken. If you don't have and instant read thermometer, get one.
> Hope this helps.


 
That's a great idea. Thanks!

I have a thermometer, but I don't know if it applies to chicken legs... it's not like a chicken breast or ground patty, where you can stick it into the center and get an accurate reading.


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## lyndalou (Aug 11, 2010)

I am assuming that you have a stove to put the grill pan on, right? Do you have an oven as well? I would forget the grill pan if you are doing bone-in chicken and just get a nice carmelization on the skin, then put it into the oven until done. Probably at 360deg for 20-25 mins. You are talking chicken parts, i hope.
Anyway, good luck.


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## Kayelle (Aug 11, 2010)

lyndalou said:


> I am assuming that you have a stove to put the grill pan on, right? Do you have an oven as well? I would forget the grill pan if you are doing bone-in chicken and just get a nice carmelization on the skin, then put it into the oven until done. Probably at 360deg for 20-25 mins. You are talking chicken parts, i hope.
> Anyway, good luck.



lyndalou......did you carefully read his first post?  He wants to avoid the oven.

Rush, read here about instant read thermometers.....they are different from those that you insert for the duration of cooking, like with a roast. You can get a decent one for under 20 bucks, less than a Dr's appointment if you undercook chicken.

Instant Read Thermometer - Peace of Mind When Cooking


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## Andy M. (Aug 11, 2010)

rush said:


> That's a great idea. Thanks!
> 
> I have a thermometer, but I don't know if it applies to chicken legs... it's not like a chicken breast or ground patty, where you can stick it into the center and get an accurate reading.




Use an instant read thermometer to check the doneness of ANY meat.  Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the drumstick without touching the bone.  It should register 180F.  Drumsticks (as with all chicken) is safe to eat at 161F but dark meat texture is better at 180F.


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## Kayelle (Aug 11, 2010)

Just another thought Rush......simply eliminate the bones, by either boning it yourself, or buy boneless chicken.......Boneless chicken can be done quickly in a grill pan without the need for longer cooking, with outstanding results.


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## rush (Aug 13, 2010)

Kayelle said:


> lyndalou......did you carefully read his first post? He wants to avoid the oven.
> 
> Rush, read here about instant read thermometers.....they are different from those that you insert for the duration of cooking, like with a roast. You can get a decent one for under 20 bucks, less than a Dr's appointment if you undercook chicken.
> 
> Instant Read Thermometer - Peace of Mind When Cooking


 
Thanks for the suggestion.

I think I already have one of those...

I have something similar to this from CDN...

Amazon.com: CDN ProAccurate Quick-Read Waterproof Pocket&#133;


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## rush (Aug 13, 2010)

Andy M. said:


> Use an instant read thermometer to check the doneness of ANY meat. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the drumstick without touching the bone. It should register 180F. Drumsticks (as with all chicken) is safe to eat at 161F but dark meat texture is better at 180F.


 
180?!

I thought it was 160... why is dark meat any different?


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## rush (Aug 13, 2010)

Kayelle said:


> Just another thought Rush......simply eliminate the bones, by either boning it yourself, or buy boneless chicken.......Boneless chicken can be done quickly in a grill pan without the need for longer cooking, with outstanding results.


 
I see, thanks.

I read somewhere that bone-in stuff always cook faster, because of the bone... 

Hmm. Will boneless thighs qualify?


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## rush (Aug 13, 2010)

lyndalou said:


> I am assuming that you have a stove to put the grill pan on, right? Do you have an oven as well? I would forget the grill pan if you are doing bone-in chicken and just get a nice carmelization on the skin, then put it into the oven until done. Probably at 360deg for 20-25 mins. You are talking chicken parts, i hope.
> Anyway, good luck.


 
Thanks lyndalou, yes, I have an oven and a stove.


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## rush (Aug 13, 2010)

I've been putting this off for a while now, but the chicken legs have been in the fridge for about four days, so I thought I'd better do something quick, 'cause they probably should've been in the freezer by now.

Anyway, I just started off simple. I brushed the legs with olive oil, and then I applied salt, pepper, and paprika while it was grilling. 

Major problem was the chicken legs sticking to the grill. I have no idea how to prevent this. I read you need to oil up the grill pretty good, but since this is a grill pan, I don't think it's a good idea to brush the grill. Last time I did that, the brush was picking up burnt flakes. Don't know whether it was coming off the grill, or the brush was burning, or what. The brush is from Le Creuset, and it claims to withstand 700 degrees.

Because the chicken legs kept sticking to the grill pan, I just couldn't get the grill marks. The skin would just peel off, when I pull the chicken off the grill pan. Maybe I didn't get the grill pan hot enough? 

From what I've read, the chicken should be good to turn over in 3-5 minutes. I waited around 10 minutes, and the chicken was still stuck like a tongue to a frozen pole. I had to force it off, and when I did this, the grill marks were gone.

Overall, I probably grilled the chicken legs for around 25 minutes, because I was trying to get the grill marks... yet it kept sticking.

With the way things were going, I decided to just stick the grill pan into the oven to finish off the chicken legs. 350 degrees, 20 mins per side, is what I read, but I just baked it 15 mins per side, considering how long they were on the stove.

My thermometer registered the chicken legs at 160+, so that's when I pulled it out, but I didn't know I had to wait for it to reach 180 with dark meat... hope I don't get sick... the chicken was in the fridge for 4 days...

The finished product was okay, I guess. I cooked five chicken legs, and oddly enough, only one of 'em was burnt. Don't know why... I thought the cast iron grill pan distributed heat evenly.

There were parts of the chicken that crisped up really well, and it was heavenly. But there were more parts that were just bland, because the seasoning/skin came off, due to it redundantly sticking.

Any advice on preventing the chicken skin from sticking to the grill pan would be tremendously appreciated. Do I have to set the stove to high and drench the chicken in oil? I always read that the grill pan shouldn't be set to high, and as long as water drops evaporate instantly, it's ready to go.


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## Kayelle (Aug 13, 2010)

rush said:


> I see, thanks.
> 
> I read somewhere that bone-in stuff always cook faster, because of the bone...
> 
> Hmm. Will boneless thighs qualify?



Yes Rush, boneless thighs qualify, and are great cooked in a grill pan without the need to finish in the oven, if you don't want to. The foil method will work just fine. You also, have the right thermometer, remember it takes 6-8 seconds to get a proper reading on that one.  What you heard is opposite from the truth, bone in chicken takes longer to cook. You don't need to get dark meat up to the 180 degress, 160 is safe but some feel the texture of dark meat is best at 180, that's all.


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## Kayelle (Aug 13, 2010)

> Any advice on preventing the chicken skin from sticking to the grill pan  would be tremendously appreciated. Do I have to set the stove to high  and drench the chicken in oil? I always read that the grill pan  shouldn't be set to high, and as long as water drops evaporate  instantly, it's ready to go.



OK.  Number one, the grill pan needs to be impeccably clean when you start. If there is any leftover burned on food on the ridges, the new food will stick like there's no tomorrow.  After I'm done with mine, I let it cool for just a bit  before I eat, and add a cupful of HOT soapy water to the pan. I use a wood spatula to loosen anything stuck.  In essence, what you are doing is "deglazing" the pan with soapy water. THEN I sit down to eat, the chicken needs to rest a bit before eating anyway.  I think I have the same pan as you do, and I get it screaming hot before placing the well oiled chicken onto the pan.  I don't oil the pan itself.  I've never had a sticking problem.
Good luck on the next try Rush, and let us know how it went.


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## rush (Aug 15, 2010)

Kayelle said:


> OK. Number one, the grill pan needs to be impeccably clean when you start. If there is any leftover burned on food on the ridges, the new food will stick like there's no tomorrow. After I'm done with mine, I let it cool for just a bit before I eat, and add a cupful of HOT soapy water to the pan. I use a wood spatula to loosen anything stuck. In essence, what you are doing is "deglazing" the pan with soapy water. THEN I sit down to eat, the chicken needs to rest a bit before eating anyway. I think I have the same pan as you do, and I get it screaming hot before placing the well oiled chicken onto the pan. I don't oil the pan itself. I've never had a sticking problem.
> Good luck on the next try Rush, and let us know how it went.


 
Thanks!

Tried cooking chicken again on two more occasions. 

I rinse the chicken when I take it out of the bag. This time, I patted it dry with a paper towel, before applying the oil. The chicken didn't stick, which was surprising. 

Not sure if it had to do with me patting the chicken dry, or the Le Creuset grill pan finally developing the "patina" everyone talks highly about. It's just a black, greasy film that coats the pan. It rubs off quite easily though, so I don't wash the pan extensively. 

Personally, it just seems like leftover food grease to me, but I guess Le Creuset likes to call it the patented natural patina? I've never owned any other cast iron grill pan so I wouldn't know if this same oily film develops. 

Anyway, the last time I grilled chicken, it burned really fast. Not sure if it was the marinade or what. I need to figure out how to grill chicken on a grill pan...


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## rush (Aug 15, 2010)

Kayelle said:


> Yes Rush, boneless thighs qualify, and are great cooked in a grill pan without the need to finish in the oven, if you don't want to. The foil method will work just fine. You also, have the right thermometer, remember it takes 6-8 seconds to get a proper reading on that one. What you heard is opposite from the truth, bone in chicken takes longer to cook. You don't need to get dark meat up to the 180 degress, 160 is safe but some feel the texture of dark meat is best at 180, that's all.


 
I see, thanks!

At what point is chicken overcooked? 190?

They always say that chicken is easily undercooked, and easily overcooked. 

160-180 seems like a pretty wide margin of error. 

Also, how long can chicken be kept in the fridge (as opposed to the freezer?) I've had mine for a week now in the fridge, because I eat it everyday. Kinda seemed pointless to freeze it for a day, thaw it for another day, marinate it for the next day - 3 days just to prep chicken legs.


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## cooker81 (Aug 16, 2010)

rush said:


> And grill pan, only?
> 
> I noticed all the recipes for chicken legs on a grill pan, suggest you either start or finish the cooking process in the oven (or an outdoor grill).
> 
> ...



I hate using the oven too. What I do is buy pre-cooked chicken breasts from Sam's Club (in a package of 10-20) and just microwave a frozen breast for 3-4 minutes, then use it in a sandwich.


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## Constance (Aug 16, 2010)

Tent the grill pan with foil...works just like a lid, maybe better.


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## Kayelle (Aug 16, 2010)

> Also, how long can chicken be kept in the fridge (as opposed to the  freezer?) I've had mine for a week now in the fridge, because I eat it  everyday. Kinda seemed pointless to freeze it for a day, thaw it for  another day, marinate it for the next day - 3 days just to prep chicken  legs.



Rush, uncooked chicken should not be in the fridge for longer than 2-3 days past the sell date on the package. Please package and freeze what you don't eat in that time period.  You could bag, add marinade to your portions before you freeze them.  Keep in mind that any marinade containing sugar will cause the sticking you're trying to avoid.


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## rush (Aug 16, 2010)

Kayelle said:


> Rush, uncooked chicken should not be in the fridge for longer than 2-3 days past the sell date on the package. Please package and freeze what you don't eat in that time period. You could bag, add marinade to your portions before you freeze them. Keep in mind that any marinade containing sugar will cause the sticking you're trying to avoid.


 
Thanks, sticking is not an issue anymore, after my grill pan developed the oily patina.

Yesterday, I cooked the chicken to 180, as described, and the chicken tasted overcooked and dry. Strange part is, the inside (right where the meat tears from the bone joints) was bright red. 

I know there are times when you see some redness or blood stains in fully cooked chicken, but this was the case for every single drumstick, so I just threw it out, considering the chicken's been in the fridge for a week.

But my fridge is set to a very low temperature, so the chicken was half frozen when I took it out... maybe it wasn't thawed through, and thus, the inside was not fully cooked? My thermometer registered it at 180+.


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## rush (Aug 17, 2010)

cooker81 said:


> I hate using the oven too. What I do is buy pre-cooked chicken breasts from Sam's Club (in a package of 10-20) and just microwave a frozen breast for 3-4 minutes, then use it in a sandwich.


 
Thanks for the suggestion!


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## rush (Aug 17, 2010)

Constance said:


> Tent the grill pan with foil...works just like a lid, maybe better.


 
Thanks!


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## Frank 2022 (Aug 22, 2010)

rush said:


> And grill pan, only?
> 
> I noticed all the recipes for chicken legs on a grill pan, suggest you either start or finish the cooking process in the oven (or an outdoor grill).
> 
> ...


 

you can cook chicken that way on low heat--however it will take a long
time and you have to turn it frequently.

Frank 2022


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