For decades, broiled chicken has been the meat of choice for those on low-fat and low calorie diets. Unfortunately, broiled white chicken has also acquired a reputation for being bland, rubbery and dry.

That’s a real shame, because chicken – especially white meat chicken – is one of the most versatile proteins available. All it takes is a bit of knowledge about how to broil (or grill) chicken so that it stays moist and flavorful and you will find that chicken tastes great even without all the sauces and gravies.

How to Broil Chicken That Melts in Your Mouth

One of the most important things to keep in mind about chicken white meat is that it has little fat of its own. The fat is all in the skin. While that makes it relatively easy to cook chicken with almost no fat, it also means that chicken white meat is prone to becoming very dry when cooked without the skin. Want to avoid dried out broiled chicken breasts? Here are some tips for broiling chicken that will be moist and delicious.

1. If fat is not a concern, broil breasts with the skin on, and turned toward the heat source. For broiling, start with the skin side down, and then flip chicken pieces halfway through. Broiling breasts with the skin on will not appreciably increase the fat content of the meat as long as you remove the skin before eating it.
2. If using skinless breasts, rub them lightly with olive oil or marinade before broiling. Experiment with flavored olive oils to find flavor combinations that you like. Or, brush breasts with Italian dressing – or spray lightly with cooking spray to give them a light coating.
3. Precook chicken breasts in chicken stock before putting them under the broiler. They will start out infused with extra moisture and flavor, and spend less time drying out under the broiler.
4. Use an herb rub to crust the chicken on the outside. You will a get browned, crusted outside and moist, tender inside.
5. Your heat source should be about 5 to 6 inches away from the top of the chicken for best broiling.
6. Flavor chicken meat with herbs, salt and spices before broiling.
7. Preheat the broiler for 9 to 10 minutes before putting the meat in. If you try to broil chicken in a broiler that is not preheated, they will dry out before they cook through.
8. Keep your eye on the chicken while it is cooking. If edges are cooking too quickly, rearrange the pieces on the pan or adjust the heat.
9. Conversely, shield the thinner edges of chicken breast with foil to prevent them burning before the rest of the chicken is cooked.
10. Flip chicken when top side is browned. Since breasts will not all cook at the same rate, keep an eye on the chicken so that you can remove breasts when they are done and prevent them from drying out.
11. Use tongs to turn chicken. Do not pierce with a fork or juices will escape, leaving chicken dry and stringy.
12. Brush top side of chicken with marinade, barbecue sauce, Italian dressing or flavored olive oil after turning. A light basting will refresh the moisture and infuse flavors into the meat.

When talking about a spit, most people are talking about rotisserie style cooking. Cooking a whole hog rotisserie style is something that can take between 8-10 hours or more. A pig rotisserie also usually requires someone to turn the spit regularly to make sure that the whole pig is cooking evenly. Neither of these is true when using a caja china style roasting box (or cajun microwave for our friends in Louisiana.) One of the biggest advantages of using La Caja Asadora pig roasters is that you will save 25-40% of the time you would spend cooking a hog rotisserie style. For example, a 50 lb. whole pig roast will take about 4 hours rather than 6-8. Cooking in a La Caja Asadora or La Caja China box is also more efficient, using just 2-3 bags of charcoal rather than chord of wood for in-ground rotisserie spit methods. Also, caja chinas (Cajun microwaves) are compact, self-contained units that can be used in the city, the suburbs, or out in the country just like any other barbecue pit. There is no need to dig a hole, buy bricks, or anything else required for a whole pig rotisserie.

One of the most underrated advantages of the caja china style la caja asadora roasters that there is no need to worry about bad weather! Caja china grills come with wheels and long handles for easy portability, and can easily be moved into a covered area. Now as important as all those things are, here’s the one that matters the mostthe taste. Because these pig roasters function in many respects like a huge pressure cooker, the pork (or other meat) comes out incredibly moist, juicy, and savory. The open spit rotisserie method often leaves the meat dry and tough.

In addition to the flavor of the meat inside the box, a caja china pig roaster also has accessories that will allow you to grill on top of the box while roasting inside it. The top grill accessory can be used to prepare burgers, hot dogs, chicken, skewers, or just about any other item you can fit on the grill. In my experience, the china box itself is a guaranteed conversation piece at every party and event. A group will inevitably gather around the hog cooker, usually marveling at the smell of what’s coming out of the box!

For details and information on how to order your roaster, recipe book, or any of the other accessories visit www.shoplatintouch.com. Join the grill master community at