Guide: How to Truss A Chicken Like A Pro
Trussing a chicken is a technique used to tie the legs and wings of a chicken close to its body to help it hold its shape during cooking. For grilling enthusiasts, there are several benefits to trussing a chicken:
- Improved appearance: Trussing a chicken helps it maintain a more attractive shape when it is cooked. It can also help the skin of the chicken stay more taut, which can result in more evenly cooked and crisper skin.
- Even cooking: Trussing a chicken helps to ensure that it cooks evenly, as the legs and wings are held close to the body and are less likely to overcook or undercook compared to if they were left untied.
- Juicier meat: Trussing a chicken can help keep the meat juicier, as it helps to prevent the chicken from drying out during grilling.
- Ease of handling: Trussing a chicken makes it easier to handle, as it prevents the legs and wings from flopping around.
Overall, trussing a chicken can help improve the appearance, ensure even grilling, retain juiciness, and make it easier to handle during the BBQ process.
Check out Grill Masters Club contributor and grilling expert Ricky Albright (IG@iron_fire_cooking) trussing a chicken and finishing it off with award-winning products he found in the recent ‘Tis the Seasoning subscription box from Grill Masters Club!
Here are the steps for trussing a chicken:
- Start by laying the chicken breast side up on a cutting board.
- Tie the legs together by taking a length of butcher’s twine and wrapping it around the base of the legs, pulling it tight to secure the legs together.
- Turn the chicken over so that it is breast side down.
- Tuck the wings behind the back of the chicken and tie them in place using a piece of butcher’s twine.
- Return the chicken to a breast side up position.
- Bring the legs and wings up close to the body of the chicken and tie them in place using a piece of butcher’s twine.
- Trim any excess twine and you are done! Your chicken should now be trussed and ready for the grill.
It's important to note that trussing a chicken is not required for every recipe, and some people prefer to leave the chicken untrussed. However, trussing can be a helpful technique if you want to ensure that your chicken cooks evenly and maintains a nice shape during cooking. Enjoy!
