If you are trying to eat a healthy, low-fat diet, removing the skin from poultry is a wise choice. But, cooking poultry without the skin can sometimes result in a tasteless, dried-out piece of chicken. Using low-fat marinades before cooking works well to instill moisture into poultry. Also, basting with low-fat marinades and sauces, such as barbecue sauce, during cooking will result in moist, tender chicken. Baking, broiling, grilling, roasting and sauteing are the best low-fat ways to cook poultry.
Step 1
Preheat a gas grill to medium heat or light briquettes in a charcoal grill, letting the coals burn down to a medium heat. Line a grill wok that has holes in a criss-cross fashion with two long pieces of aluminum foil. Spray the grates of the grill with cooking spray or brush with the oil.
Step 2
Remove the skin from the chicken breasts. Put the chicken breasts meat side down onto the grates of the grill. Brown the chicken quickly, cooking for about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour a 1/2 cup of the Italian dressing into the lined grill wok. Put the chicken breasts meat side down in the wok. Place the wok on the barbecue grill and cover.
Step 3
Cook the chicken on medium heat, checking it every 5 minutes to ensure that the Italian dressing has not evaporated. Pour 1/4 cup of additional dressing into the bottom of the wok, when needed, so the chicken does not dry out during cooking. Continue to cook the chicken until the meat thermometer reads 170 degrees Fahrenheit and the juices run clear when the flesh is pierced with a fork.
Step 4
Remove the chicken from the grill and keep it warm by covering it with a piece of aluminum foil. Place 2 tbsp. of dressing into a microwaveable dish. Heat the dressing in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, or until it is hot. Brush the chicken with the hot Italian dressing before serving.
Tips and Warnings
- This recipe serves four. If the dressing is evaporating too quickly during the cooking time, reduce the heat of your gas grill or place the wok on a cooler area of the grate. If the Italian dressing you are using is very thick, thin it down with 2 tbsp. of water for each 1/4 cup of dressing used. You can also marinate the chicken breasts for 2 to 4 hours in 1/2 cup of dressing before cooking. To test the heat of a barbecue grill, hold your palm open 6 inches above the hottest part of the coals. If you can hold your hand over the coals for 5 seconds without pulling your hand away, the coals are at medium heat.
- Be careful when spraying the cooking spray on the barbecue grate, because it may cause the grill to flare up.
Things You'll Need
- 4 bone-in split chicken breasts
- Cooking spray or 1 to 2 tbsp. canola or olive oil
- Barbecue brush
- 1 bottle non-fat Italian dressing, 16 oz.
- Barbecue grill
- Square grill wok
- Aluminum foil
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Microwaveable dish
- Microwave
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