Alton Brown is a beloved food personality known for his scientific approach to cooking He makes his famous “ring of fire” grilled chicken by using a clever setup that allows him to sear the chicken over high heat before gently cooking it over lower indirect heat, Brown’s bi-level cooking method results in chicken that’s 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
Alton Brown prefers using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead of breasts when grilling chicken. He finds chicken breasts tend to dry out quickly over direct heat. Chicken thighs have more fat and connective tissue so they stay juicier on the grill. The bone also helps retain moisture. For his ring of fire chicken, Brown uses a 4-5 pound broiler-fryer chicken cut into 6 pieces with 2 legs, 2 thighs, and 2 breast halves.
Brine the Chicken
Brown brines the chicken in a saltwater solution first to season it and keep it extra juicy. A quart of water, 1/2 cup of honey, and 3/4 cup of kosher salt are mixed together by him. He puts the chicken pieces in the brine and lets them soak for 1 1/2 hours in the fridge after cutting them up. The salt makes the meat taste better and more tender, and the honey gives it a light 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
This is where Alton Brown’s one-of-a-kind “ring of fire” move comes in handy. He puts a circle of foil in the middle of his charcoal grill. This makes two heat zones: direct heat that is very hot around the edges and indirect heat that is cooler in the middle.
Brown lights a full chimney starter of charcoal to make the ring. After that, he puts a 9-inch round piece of foil over the chimney and puts a pie pan on top of it to catch the drips. He slowly pours the coals out around the foil ring when they are ready, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Sear then Finish Indirectly
With his ring of fire setup, Brown can sear the chicken over the very hot direct heat before gently cooking it over indirect heat. He arranges the chicken pieces skin-side down over the hot coals around the outer edges. After searing both sides, Brown moves the chicken to the center where it can finish cooking over indirect 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:
-
Use natural lump charcoal for even heating and real wood flavor
-
Allow enough time for the coals to become hot and ashy before grilling
-
Keep the grill covered when not flipping or moving chicken to prevent flare-ups
-
Use metal tongs and heat-resistant mitts for safe handling
-
Check chicken often to prevent burning or drying out
-
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: So we notice that he likes to live dangerously by pouring water directly into the hot pan of oil so that it aerosolizes, causing third-degree burns. 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. If we cook them both to the same level of doneness (155 degrees), or if we choose a spot center mass, I think it will be interesting to see how much weight of moisture loss each one has. 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: We carefully recorded the temperatures of both the pan and the food, giving us three sets of data. 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 do you cook chicken on a grill?
For three minutes, cook the chicken over direct heat to get beautiful grill marks. Then, move the chicken to indirect heat, cover it, and grill it until it reaches 165°F. Once done, take it off 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?
When the chicken breast is done cooking, move it to the middle of the grill and cover it 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?
Here’s what you’ll need: Grill Thermometer: Accurately measures the internal temperature of the chicken, ensuring it reaches 165°F for safe consumption. 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.
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