Bone-in chicken breast on Pit Boss pellet grill

Chicken is one of my favorite things to cook on the Pit Boss. Not only is it a healthier option than other meats, but it is also easy to prepare. This step-by-step guide will walk you through on how to cook chicken breast on Pit Boss pellet grill.

How to Cook Chicken Breast On Pit Boss Pellet Grill?

Load up the Pit Boss with hardwood pellets, season the chicken, preheat the grill, use the meat probe to monitor the internal temperature, and let the Pit Boss do most of the work.

This guide is specifically written for the Pit Boss grill. That said, it will work for any brand pellet grill you have. The only difference will be the temperature settings, as every pellet grill is different.

Cooking Chicken Breasts On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill

The Pit Boss grill makes it easy to prepare chicken in many different ways. You can cook chicken wings, drumettes, chicken quarters, spatchcock chicken, beer can chicken, whole chicken, etc.

Basically, the Pit Boss can cook chicken in the same ways you prepare chicken in the oven or convection oven indoors. The biggest difference is you get the option to use different flavored pellets, and you can even opt to smoke the chicken before cooking it.

*This page contains affiliate links to products I recommend. If you purchase something from this page, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

Season The Chicken

Once you’ve cleaned the chicken properly, it’s time to season it. There are several different ways to season chicken.

When in doubt, I always turn to my favorite seasonings of olive oil, black pepper, and kosher salt. This is the perfect way to season chicken, especially, if you’re in a hurry.

That said, the last time I grilled chicken breasts on the pellet grill, I seasoned my chicken breasts with:

• 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic (grated)
• 1-inch fresh ginger root grated (remove the skin)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (I used light brown)

I found this recipe online and it was a recipe for grilling salmon. But I wanted to try it for chicken and the flavor was amazing. You can find the entire recipe on the Rachel Cooks website.

Instructions

1. Use a knife to remove the skin from the ginger. Grate both the ginger and garlic before using for the marinade. I personally love using my Kuhn Rikon Pull chopper, which makes it so easy to chop, grate, and cut foods with just the pull of the cord.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, and ginger.
3. Place the chicken in a large freezer gallon bag and pour the marinade over the chicken.
4. Seal the bag and move the chicken around to ensure the entire chicken breast is coated with the marinade.

Now just put the chicken in the fridge and let it sit for 5-6 hours. If you want a more flavorful taste, I recommend letting the chicken sit in the marinade overnight.

Allowing the chicken to marinate for 24 hours, will help give your chicken a more flavorful taste. That said, you never want to marinate your met for more than a day.

Some people say that you shouldn’t throw cold chicken on the grill. You should let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before throwing it on the grill.

I’ve personally never had any issues with grilling cold chicken. That said, you can cook frozen chicken on the Pit Boss. However, it will take a lot longer than cooking thawed chicken.

Preheat The Pit Boss

If you’re not going to smoke the chicken before cooking, turn the temperature dial to 350℉.

What Temperature To Cook Chicken Breast On Pit Boss?

I’ve found that cooking chicken at 350 degrees Fahrenheit helps cook the chicken quickly, while still keeping it moist and juicy.

If you cook the chicken on too long on slow heat, it will dry it out. Keep this in mind if you decide to smoke your chicken at 180 degrees before cooking.

Personally, I’ve never smoked my chicken breasts before grilling and it always comes out with a smokey flavor.

What P-Setting to Use for Cooking Chicken Breast On Pit Boss?

Personally, I leave grill on the default P4 factory setting whenever cooking chicken. If you’re cooking on a cold day, you will want to adjust the P-setting.

Best Pellets for Chicken Breast

The best pellets to use for chicken are apple, cherry, hickory, or competition blend. Any of these pellet flavors will help enhance the flavor of mild-flavored meats like chicken.

Put The Chicken On The Grill

Once the meat has been seasoned and the grill has reached the proper temperature, it’s time to put the chicken breasts on the grill.

Place the chicken breasts on one side of the grill, not in the middle. This will leave room for you to prepare veggies, potatoes, on the other side of the grill.

If you’re looking for a good side dish to go with your chicken, check out these Pit Boss smoked sweet potatoes.

Use The Meat Probes

Ensure you use a good meat thermometer or the Pit Boss meat probes. A good thermometer will help you monitor the temperature so you know when it’s fully cooked.

If you are only using an Instant Read Thermometer, you’ll want to check the temperature after 10 minutes.

The biggest reason I use a Wireless Remote Cooking Thermometer is that whenever you open the Pit Boss to use the Instant Read Thermometer, the heat escapes and slows down the cooking process.

How Long Does It Take to Cook Chicken Breasts On The Pit Boss?

Cooking chicken breasts at 350℉ will take about 20-30 minutes. Smaller chicken breasts will take 10-12 minutes.

The chicken breasts I cooked took 30 minutes to cook.

That said, the cooking time can vary based on how thick the chicken breasts are.

Regardless of what size your chicken is, the safe internal temperature is at least 165°F (74 degrees Celsius).

The worst thing you can do is undercook your chicken. It can cause you and your guests to become sick. If you overcook your chicken, it will lead to tough dried chicken.

Ensure you’re using a good meat thermometer to keep an eye on your chicken. Remember, you’re looking for that sweet spot of 165°F.

Should You Flip The Chicken Breasts?

If you want the grill marks on both sides of the chicken, you’ll want to flip it. Keep an eye on the chicken, and once it turns white, flip it to the other side.

That said, you should only flip chicken one time, as flipping more than once can dry the meat out.

Resting Period

Once the meat has reached a safe internal temperature for consumption, use tongs to remove it from the grill. Place the chicken on a place and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into it.

The resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the chicken, ensuring it has a moister taste.

Tent the chicken with a piece of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will prevent the chicken from getting cold before it’s done resting for 10-15 minutes.

What To Serve With Chicken Breasts?

Chicken goes good with quinoa, potatoes, vegetables, or you can cut it into pieces and top a salad.

There are so many side dishes that pair well with chicken. I personally like pairing it with vegetables and another side like quinoa or potatoes.

Final Word

The Pit Boss pellet grill makes it easy to cooked smoked chicken in a matter of minutes. The next time you’re looking for something simple to cook for dinner, considering smoking some chicken.

It’s one of the easiest ways to feed your family a healthy meal without a lot of effort on your part!

Related Articles

• How to Cook Chicken Legs On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill?

How long do you cook chicken breast on a Pit Boss pellet grill?

How do you smoke bone in chicken breast on a pellet smoker?

What temperature do you cook chicken on a Pit Boss pellet grill?

How long does it take to smoke a bone in chicken breast?