Chicken requires medium-to-low heat and patience. Pre-cooking slightly or braaing it higher above the coals prevents the skin from burning before the inside is safely done.
Ensure the skin is completely dry before putting it on the fire. Start skin-side up over medium coals, and only turn it to crisp up towards the end.
Chicken thighs and drumsticks require a steady, moderate temperature. Baste them continuously with a tangy lemon-and-herb or peri-peri marinade throughout the cook to trap moisture, ensuring the core reaches a safe internal temperature of 75Ā°C.
Baste chicken pieces continuously with a tangy lemon-and-herb or peri-peri marinade to retain deep moisture.
Brining your chicken pieces in a salt-and-water solution for 2 hours before braaing guarantees incredibly juicy meat.
Wings have a high skin-to-meat ratio and cook quickly. Braai them over hot coals, turning them every 60 seconds to render the fat dynamically and create an ultra-crispy exterior. Apply sticky or sweet glazes only during the final 3 minutesā¦
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for a full 30 minutes prior to threading to prevent them from instantly catching fire over the coals. Keep chicken cubes small and uniform so they cook through rapidly without drying out.
Flatty (spatchcock) chicken is ideal for the braai; it lays uniform across the grid, resulting in perfectly even cooking.
Use kitchen shears to cut along the backbone and flatten the bird flat. Start the braai with the skin-side up over low-to-medium coals to cook the meat through from the bone side first. Only flip it skin-side down during theā¦
Cooking a whole chicken successfully requires indirect heat under a hood. Utilise the “beer-can chicken” method to keep the bird upright, balancing it over a half-full can of liquid. This steams the interior with moisture while the mild surrounding coalsā¦