BY MAVIS LINNEMANN We’ve all experienced it: You order the grilled chicken at your favorite restaurant and instead of a juicy, succulent, slightly smoked chicken breast, out comes a dry, bland, tough culinary abomination. It’s one of those menu items I avoid at all costs (even though it’s often the healthiest option) just because I’m afraid of what the final product might taste like. How do you avoid dry, tasteless grilled chicken? As cooks, we have a number of options: 1) Use bone-in chicken breasts and thighs because the bones help keep the poultry moist; 2) carefully monitor the internal temperature of the chicken so it does not overcook; and 3) brine the chicken in a salt-water solution before cooking to bring flavor and moisture to the meat. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165?F to be safe to eat. Because meat and poultry continue cooking after they’re removed from a heat source (called carryover cooking), I like to remove my chicken from the grill or oven when it reaches about 160?F. I then cover it with tin foil and let it rest for 5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165?F or above. This ensures that your chicken is not only safe to eat, but it’s also moist and flavorful. MORE