Your Points®-friendly guide to grilling chicken and turkey

Among WW members, skinless chicken breast and extra-lean ground turkey are always popular proteins—and not just because they’re ZeroPoint™ food. Versatility is another major selling point: These poultry MVPs can be dressed up or down, seasoned and sauced to channel any kind of cuisine.

Add in the ease of backyard grilling, and you have yourself a perfect warm-weather meal. Here, we present some tasty advice for grilling chicken and turkey, along with our 21 best recipes for grilled turkey burgers, chicken skewers, chicken sandwiches, and whole chicken breast to make your next barbecue truly mouthwatering.

Chicken and turkey are mild in flavour, which means they’re delicious with almost any kind of seasoning. Search WW.ca for barbecue-friendly rub and marinade recipes. Or try a simple brine for chicken breasts to help them grill up extra juicy and flavourful.

Burgers made from super lean ground turkey and chicken don’t have to be dry. Amp up the flavour, texture, and juiciness by adding minced portobello mushroom or shredded zucchini to the burger mixture before forming patties. Just be sure to remove excess moisture from shredded zucchini, if using. Squeeze the zucchini in your hands over a bowl, or use the back of a spoon to push out the moisture through a fine-mesh strainer. The goal is a juicy burger, not a soggy one!

Before putting boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the grill, you’d be wise to pound them to a consistent thickness. This ensures even cooking so you don’t end up with flame-dried jerky on one end. To pound boneless chicken breast, place the meat between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper, then gently hit with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or other blunt, heavy object until you achieve the desired level of thickness.

In terms of doneness, grilled meat can sometimes be tough to eyeball—nice char marks aren’t necessarily a sign the food is ready to eat. To be safe, use a food thermometer. No matter what kind of poultry you’re preparing—ground meat, cutlets, pieces on the bone—the safe internal temperature for doneness is 165℉, as measured at the meat’s thickest part. Once the food is done, remove from the grill and let rest for a few minutes so juices reabsorb (instead of running onto your plate or lap).

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Leslie Fink, MS, RD, has worked on the WW editorial team for more than 21 years. She plays a key role in food, recipe, and program content, as well as product partnerships and experiences.