Here's a checklist to help your grilling efforts:

• Get organized before starting. Have everything you need — chicken, marinade, seasonings, sauces, toppings and equipment — on hand before you fire up the grill.
• Make sure you have enough fuel. Insufficient flame means uncooked food. Have an extra bag of charcoal on hand, or make sure your gas grill’s tank is at least one-third full.
• Grilling is a high-heat art. To sear the meat and get those tantalizing marks, the grill must be at least 500°F. When using charcoal, let it burn until covered with a thin coat of gray ash. When using a gas grill, preheat on high for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Clean your grill grate twice each time you grill: once after preheating and again after you finish cooking because there’s nothing less appetizing than grilling on top of bits of burnt food. Plus, new food tends to stick to a dirty grate. We recommend using a long-handled, wire brush.
• Keep the grill covered and resist peeking. If your grill has a cover, keep it on as much as possible. This is especially true for large meat cuts and chicken, whole chicken in particular. Every time you lift the lid, you add 5 to 10 minutes cooking time.
• Stop poking — use tongs or a spatula instead. Piercing the meat while grilling allows juices to escape while cooking. This can lead to dry chicken. Tongs are great for gently moving chicken during grilling.
• Let the chicken stand a few minutes before serving. It’ll taste better, because the meat juices driven to the center before cooking will spread throughout the meat. So every bite is juicy.
• Once you put something on the grill, stay with it until it’s cooked. Grilling is easy but it demands constant attention.