Outdoor Cooking Techniques

Direct cooking

Direct cooking means placing the poultry directly over the heat-it's quick and easy for smaller cuts such as drumsticks, thighs and burgers. These items should be grilled over medium-hot coals or a gas grill setting of medium-high.

Indirect cooking

Indirect cooking means placing the poultry on a cooler part of the grill, covering it, and using the surrounding heat to cook it-this works well for larger cuts such as a whole breasts, split or whole birds.

Smoking poultry

Smoking poultry can be done without the use of a commercial smoker. To lightly smoke chicken and turkey, place smoked wood chips inside a charcoal or gas grill. Wrapping dry chips in foil and poking holes in it will provide dry smoke flavor, whereas soaking them in liquid and placing them in a disposable metal pan on the grilling rack will provide a different wet smoke flavor. In both cases, be sure to close the grill's lid, allowing the smoke to thoroughly surround and flavor the meat. Due to long cooking times, it may be necessary to add more briquettes during cooking if you're using a charcoal grill.