Grilled chicken: cook ahead, reheat & sauce?

[jjdbike]

Hello everyone,

This Saturday I am hosting a birthday neighborhood gathering celebration for my wife. I'm grilling chicken parts, and saucing them. All skin on bone it parts. I'm doing Sweet BBQ breast halves, Nashville hot drums, Alabama white thighs.

It's gonna be hot and humid. I'd like to do the majority of the cooking ahead of time so we can not be overheated and doing last minuet cooking as guests are arriving. I'd love to create some grill marks, get them upto safe temps and warm rest at 165 on a pellet grill. As we get close I'll crank up the temps to firm up the skin, then sauce, tack up, and serve.

Any tips, suggestions, or advice?

Respectfully,
JD

[Ace]

I think that you have a good idea on adding the sauces at the end. Since the white sauce is mayo based (I assume) it will tend to separate if heated. Always look forward to your pics...

[FireMan]

Personally, and I may catch some heat for this, yes pun intended, I would not reheat chicken.

[SheilaAnn]

If you really want to cook ahead, I would consider cook and hold and then finish with sauces. Cooling the chicken down and then reheating will just overcook the chicken and all the sauce in the world won’t make it better. You got skillz, sir. You got this!

[jfmorris]

The lovely SheilaAnn and not as lovely FireMan (sorry! ) have it right. You are gonna dry the chicken out if you cool and then reheat.

Now, cooking and using the pellet smoker as a holding oven might work, if it can run at low enough of a temp (160?), but you are still gonna end up killing any crispy skin from the kettle.

[FireMan]

Hey, why can't I be loverly.

[jfmorris]

FireMan (sssh...) I was trying to make SheilaAnn feel special. You are most certainly as loverly as Evil Roy Slade can be!

Edit: I just read that John Astin is a vegetarian!!!! Hmm. Then again he has made it to 96 and counting...

[jjdbike]

Thanks all.
You’ve convinced me…. Not cooking ahead.
JD

[bbqLuv]

Good on you

[bbqLuv]

I have reheated chicken. Lower heat and wrapped in foil with moisture: BBQ sauce, chicken broth, water.
Remember that cold chicken is good also, too. Who hasn't had cold chicken at a picnic?

BTW it only takes about 4 minutes to pasteurize meat at 145*F. Salmonella 6.5D Reduction Table

[jjdbike]

Hey BBQ homies,

First off, thanks for all of your input!

Here’s the report. I found a new use for my pellet cooker. Set at warm, I warmed the BBQ sauces. I grilled the sweet peppers, onions & pineapple, then on the pellet grill. As the chicken pieces got to temp, they went onto the pellet grill. Once they were all done, I sauced and let it set while I served the sides, then the chicken, perfectly done, moist, skin as crisp as could be after being sauced.

I’ve got to say, this was my best grilled chicken yet. I’m loving my new SnS grill. Plenty of space, does a great job of two zero cooking, good temp consistency and control. It’s heads and shoulders above my old 18” Weber.

TMI, but unfortunately I’m unable to enjoy any leftovers today as I need to “prep” for a procedure tomorrow.

Best regards,
JD

[Skip]

Thanks for the update on your cook..good info for all of us. Good luck with your procedure tomorrow.

[Ace]

👍 😎 👍