When I BBQ on my little charcoal grill, my chicken and burgers always come out dry, any tips?

Question

When I BBQ on my little charcoal grill, my chicken and burgers always come out dry, any tips?

Answer 1

every once in a while pour beer on them.

or coke. (on the chicken)

beers good though...it might be a texas thing

Answer 2

marinade chicken in oil lemon zest and chopped garlic then grill...turn only ONCE and dont press down on them

i tend to add woistershire sauce to burgers when grilling and again turn only ONCE and dont press down on them

dont overcook! that will always dry meat out

Answer 3

either use a marinade or maybe you are cooking them to long

Answer 4

use a brush or spray to give it a thin film of oil to grill, turn 'em over every 3-5 minutes, chicken needs about 15-20 minutes to cook depending on the heat.

Answer 5

You're overcooking and most likely at high temperature.

Reduce the heat and don't let the charcoal raise flames.

Answer 6

for the chicken....try boiling it first to cook it all the way. then grill it to get the flavor cooked in. it only takes about 5 minutes to get the grilled flavor through it.

as for the burgers....don't cook them so long

Answer 7

well, it could be that you need to remove from grill a bit sooner.  remember that even though you remove it from the grill, internally it will still be cooking for up to 15 minutes more.

try this, for every ounce on a piece of meat leave it on the grill for 1 minute(1oz=1min

usually though, the food is too close too the charcoals...,

you could try putting it on over the flame to get the outside sealed up and then moving away from the fire/charcoals and let it smoke.  the newer grills have the hotbox on the side which allows you to control your temp and keeps your meat from direct heat, but lets the meat retain it's moisture by smoking it.  

direct heat tends to dry out your meat.  try using a plank of untreated wood, say cedar, to cook your meat on.  also gives it a great flavor.

rubs and spices also char first on the outside of the meat helping keep the juices inside.

refrain from flipping more than once, try not to cut anything open to check if it's done.  

a little olive oil goes a long way.  grease em up.

finally, char the outsides of the meat on the grill, then remove them and finish them off in the oven.

Answer 8

You are overcooking your food, no doubt.  Get a meat thermometer and really pay close attention to cooking it thru, but not overdoing it.

What kind of **** gives me a thumbs down for this answer?????

Answer 9

...keep the "inferno" moderately "low"...  take the Chicken and wrap-it-up in a layer of aluminum foil...in the foil, place some garlic/onion etc...  about the burgers... use "beef" that is about 75%-25% (not the real expensive stuff)...the "fat" in the beef adds flavor... and again... keep the "blast" moderately low...  don't just "slap'um" on the grill and walk away... flip them several times...