Grilled chicken in the microwave: how to cook

Advantages and disadvantages

The presence of a grill built into the microwave oven significantly expands the capabilities of this electrical appliance. With its help, you can always get a lot of different dishes in a short period of time: golden brown chicken, vegetables that taste like they were cooked over a fire, fish and even baked goods.

Using a grill, meat and fish will never be fatty, because they do not need to use a large amount of vegetable oil. Accordingly, the food turns out tasty and at the same time healthy.

Using the analyzed function is very simple. The main thing is to follow the manufacturer’s clear instructions.

As for the shortcomings, there are three of them:

The microwave becomes very dirty after the cooking process is completed. However, if you wipe off all the dirt at once, you won’t have to struggle with cleaning for a long time.
According to some reviews, food after such a grill is not very tasty, because it does not have the smell of smoke and the specific taste that always exists after a fire.
When drops of fat fall on the heating elements, an unpleasant odor occurs inside the device.

All of the above disadvantages can be easily avoided if you take proper care of your microwave oven on time and properly.

Quartz grill what is it

Grill function in the oven
Grill in the oven
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There aren't many people who love to cook. And, perhaps, there is absolutely not a single person who likes to cook after a hard day at work. Fortunately, thanks to refrigerators we can preserve food. And microwave ovens gave us the opportunity to heat up this food quickly and easily.

Previously, heating element heaters were widely used in microwave ovens. They heat up to maximum temperature for at least 3 minutes, consume a lot of electricity, and are difficult to care for. But progress does not stand still. And the heating elements - heaters were replaced by a quartz grill .

pros

The quartz lamp is located on the ceiling of the microwave. This allows you to avoid reducing the size of the furnace. Cleaning is generally simple - partly due to the structure, partly due to the fact that, due to the high operating temperatures, the lamp cleans itself. Quartz lamps heat up much faster than heating elements - heaters. It takes 1 minute to reach maximum temperature. Also, stoves equipped with a quartz grill consume electricity much more economically. The cooking process is much more even.

There are a lot of advantages to a quartz grill. But, unfortunately, there are also disadvantages.

Minuses

The main disadvantage of ovens with quartz grills is their price. It significantly exceeds the cost of simple microwave ovens with heating element heaters. And the distribution is not yet widespread - nevertheless, standard microwave ovens are more popular due to their familiarity and low price.

Who may need it

In general, microwave ovens with a quartz grill may be needed by those who have the financial ability to purchase such expensive equipment. Of course, it will pay off in the end. But not everyone is ready to make a one-time expenditure. But if you have even the slightest opportunity, buy it. Its efficiency will greatly please you in the future. Also, many claim that dishes in such an oven come out much tastier than in a regular microwave.

What you should pay attention to

Choose equipment from well-known manufacturers. This will protect you as much as possible from fraud and manufacturing defects, and will also allow you to take advantage of the warranty period.
Do not purchase equipment from small stores. Trust only large stores, this also applies to the Internet.
Study the information received carefully.
Don't waste money on a super modern microwave with a hundred modes if all you need to do is reheat food and grill chicken from time to time.
Choose a model that comes with additional equipment. Whether it's a grill grate, a special cleaning cloth or something similar. As a rule, this indicates that the manufacturer is trying to help the client.

In general, a quartz grill is rightfully considered economical and convenient. If you can afford to spend a similar amount, feel free to choose it. By purchasing such a unit, you provide yourself with reliable equipment that will work for a very long time.

Turbo grill
Large grill
Small grill

Gas oven cabinet in retro style

Types of grills

When planning to purchase a microwave oven with a grill, you must first consult with a specialist what type of grill is built into a particular model of microwave oven. Today, several types are known.

Tenovy

It is the presence of a metal spiral, which is most often located at the top of a household appliance. Recently, models of furnaces have appeared in which heating elements can move. This ensures food cooks faster and more evenly, reducing cooking time. An equally important, positive property of such a grill is that it is very easy to care for.

Quartz

Its meaning lies in the built-in quartz lamp, which is located at the top of the microwave. Emitting infrared light and at the same time heating up, it does not pose any danger to humans, therefore it is protected from the product by a built-in grille.

This design does not take up additional internal space in the electrical device, heats up quickly, while consuming a small amount of electricity. It should be noted that this grill cannot be washed in the microwave. Other disadvantages include longer cooking times and uneven degrees of frying;

Ceramic

It has an additional heating element. Its purpose is to prepare dishes even faster and better, while maintaining the necessary juiciness and all the beneficial properties. This is achieved due to deeper penetration of infrared radiation into products, which leads to better frying. The downside to having a dual grill is that it uses a lot more electricity than a single main grill.

Whatever type of grill you choose, you need to know that none of them can work without a built-in internal fan. Its function is to mix hot air heated by a heating element or lamp and improve the quality of food preparation.

In what cases, what type of grill should you use?

This question may arise in the following cases:

you have two or more microwaves with different types of heating elements (which is unlikely);
You have one oven with two different types of heating elements.

Let's consider the second case as the most likely.

In accelerated mode, all upper elements are used. This way you can quickly get a crispy crust on top.

In the mode of using all the lower and upper heaters, dishes are cooked without turning the food. This function is suitable for cooking steaks, cutlets, fish or pies.

The mode of using the lower heater allows you to bring pies and pizza to full readiness.

The upper and movable heating elements operate in rotary mode. This way you can make buns or strips.

What is it needed for

Thanks to the presence of a grill, the microwave significantly expands the range of its capabilities. It can simultaneously combine the functions performed by other household appliances: stove, oven and electric grill. Now you can not only defrost, heat and cook regular dishes in it.

Using the grill, you can easily fry meat, fish, bake vegetables, make delicious sandwiches and even bake pies. A significant advantage is that all these processes are much simpler and faster.

Correct operation

Using the example of a grilled chicken recipe, we will learn how to properly use a microwave with the function in question:

Rinse the carcass under running water, cut into portions or in half.
Dab the chicken on all sides with paper napkins or a towel.
Marinate the bird in a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic, basil and curry, leave for 30 minutes.
After the allotted time has passed, place a metal rack inside the microwave and place the chicken on it.
Place an additional small container on a glass tray into which the fat will drip during cooking.
Select the desired mode on the microwave and set the time to 12 minutes. Once the time is up, flip the pieces over to the other side and turn the grill back on for the same amount of time.

If the meat is ready, clear juice will flow out of it when pierced with a fork or knife. If the chicken turns out to be damp, place it in a deep plate and cook under a plastic cap for a few more minutes.

You can diversify this familiar recipe with marinades and vegetables, which will go perfectly with golden brown chicken.

How to cook grilled chicken in ginger marinade

Ingredients for cooking:

chilled chicken – 1-3 kg;
ground ginger root (dry) – 2 tsp;
soy sauce “Ginger” - 50 ml;
sesame oil – 50 ml;
pepper mixture – ½ tsp;
garlic – 2 cloves.

Cooking time: 1 hour.

Nutritional value per 100 g: 187 kcal.

Preparation:

To prepare the ginger marinade, you will need a deep bowl. Place dry ginger and pepper mixture in it. Then add ginger soy sauce and sesame oil. Then add the garlic cloves crushed using a press. Thoroughly grind all the ingredients of the marinade until smooth;
The cooled chicken carcass must be rinsed, dried, and then rubbed with ginger marinade. If possible, you can give her “ginger injections”. To do this, you need to take an ordinary syringe with the largest and thickest needle, fill it with marinade and chop the carcass;
Leave the chicken for 15-20 minutes - let it soak thoroughly in the marinade;
Then place it back up on the grill grate, place it in the microwave and, turning on the grill mode, cook for 20 minutes. Afterwards, turn it over with the breast up and continue cooking for another 18-20 minutes;
Fragrant, spicy grilled chicken in ginger marinade is ready. For those who love spiciness, Japanese horseradish “Wasabi” can be served as an addition - it will perfectly emphasize the piquancy of this meat delicacy.

Tips for use

Before you start using the grill, you must read the manufacturer's instructions. You should always remember that even once preparing a dish incorrectly can cause serious damage to your household appliance. Consider some tips that will teach you how to correctly use the analyzed function:

Never cook food in metal utensils or plates whose surfaces are decorated with metallic patterns.
It is better to cook a small portion of food at a time. Otherwise, it may turn out damp in some places.
To ensure that food is evenly fried on all sides, a special metal grate should be used during grill operation. Most often it comes with a microwave.
Be sure to place the grate on a glass tray so that juice from the food drips onto it during cooking and not onto the bottom of the appliance.
If you want to create a fried, crispy crust on meat or fish, combine grilling with convection (internal fan). It will ensure uniform circulation of hot air throughout the entire interior space.
When preparing sandwiches or drying bread, place a paper napkin under it and set a short period of time. This will protect the product from burning and drying out.
Before placing vegetables on the grill for roasting, they must be washed, dried and cut into small pieces.
To prevent the meat from becoming dry, salt it almost at the very end of cooking.
You can achieve a fried crust on the chicken if you wipe it with a paper towel before putting it in the microwave.
A whole chicken will take a very long time to cook and will not fit in a standard microwave oven. That is why it is better to cut the carcass into portions.
When heating milk or preparing milk sauces, use a container that is deep enough to prevent the liquid from overflowing as it boils.
Stay close to the electrical appliance when cooking food, so you can always monitor the time and degree of readiness of the food.

By following the recommendations described above, you will be able to significantly extend the life of your microwave and avoid breakdowns.

Recommendations for selection

When choosing a microwave oven with grill, you need to pay attention, first of all, to its power. Here we are talking about the total indicator of all the functions that each specific microwave can perform. If the power of the device is too high and the wiring in the house is old, you will have to buy a device with less power.

Be sure to pay attention to what type of grill is in the device and how many there are in it. The quality of the prepared food will depend on this, as well as the amount of time that will have to be spent on it.

Conscientious manufacturers will always offer a metal grill grate complete with a household electrical appliance. Without it, the cooking process will become long and inconvenient.

The higher the price of a stove with grill, the more automatic programs will be built into it, allowing you to prepare a more varied food. So, the largest number of them can reach up to 24 pieces.

Criteria for choosing a microwave oven with grill

When purchasing a microwave oven, you should think about the feasibility of additional functions that increase the cost. On the one hand, the presence of a grill allows you to diversify your dishes more than in a conventional microwave. On the other hand, there is no confidence in the practical use of these options, since the operation of the microwave may simply be limited to normal heating.

If you still decide to purchase a microwave oven with grill, then you should pay attention to some points.

The volume of the working chamber can be small (8-15 l), medium (16-20 l) and large (20-30 l). Accordingly, this parameter affects the number of servings that can be prepared at a time.
Power also varies depending on needs. Different models have different limits for this value; how much they will be in demand during the cooking process should be determined immediately. This indicator is also affected by the type and number of heating elements used. For example, a ceramic grill is considered the most powerful and consumes the most resources, a regular metal grill is considered medium-power, and a quartz grill is the least powerful. The intensity of heat transfer also depends on this parameter. Thus, a regular heating element heats the surface of the food “more strongly and aggressively,” while a quartz heating element “softly and evenly” - thanks to a different wavelength, the heat goes deeper.
Equally important is the surface material of the working chamber. It can be made of ceramics, enamel or stainless steel. Depending on the operating characteristics, the care of the microwave will vary, especially after using the grill. Nothing sticks to ceramics, but powder detergents and steel wool should not be used to clean it. These methods are not harmful to enamel, but dirt sticks to it much more strongly.

Review of the best representatives

The rules for using the grill in each microwave may differ from each other. The most popular options for these electrical appliances are these models.

Samsung MC28H5013AK

Feature: allows you to make cheese and yogurt.

Positive properties:

modern design;
low cost;
the presence of a bioceramic coating makes it possible to quickly and easily clean it from dirt;
there are 24 cooking programs for various types of dishes;
cooks and heats food quickly and always evenly;
The glass tray moves smoothly, without jerking.

The downside is that the function buttons are not backlit. For people with poor vision, this causes significant inconvenience when using the device.

Midea AW925EHU

Feature - can cook dried fruits.

Advantages:

there is a built-in self-cleaning function;
availability of 10 programs for cooking;
not too high cost;
large volume;
heating element grill.

Disadvantages - the device is difficult to control, so it will be difficult to work with it at first without instructions.