Meet Nanny Pat — a passionate home cook who loves sharing practical tips and creative techniques. One of her best ideas for grilling is using bricks to press meat while it cooks. This simple method speeds up cooking, helps retain juices, and creates crisp, evenly browned skin. It’s practical and makes a fun conversation starter at any barbecue.
Below is Nanny Pat’s straightforward approach for brick-pressed chicken, adapted for clarity and easy use on the grill.
Recipe by Pat Milton
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: Varies depending on the cut and size of the meat
Yield: About 1–2 pieces of meat per person
What you need: Bricks wrapped for grilling
Ingredients
Keep a couple of clean bricks wrapped for grilling in a new layer of regular foil stored inside plastic bags. When you’re ready to use them, unwrap from the bag and rewrap the bricks in heavy-duty foil so they’re safe for the grill.
Choice of meat: any cut works, though Nanny Pat often uses chicken breasts (skin-on) or half chickens — shown here is a ½ chicken.
Seasonings: one piece was seasoned with lemon pepper and the other with seasoned salt. Use your favorite dry rub, marinade, or BBQ sauce.
Instructions
- Add your preferred seasonings or marinade to the meat. Let it rest briefly if marinated, or apply a dry rub and allow it to sit for a few minutes to absorb the flavors.
- Place the foil-wrapped bricks on the grill first to heat them. Preheating the bricks helps concentrate the weight and heat for faster, more even cooking.
- For crisp skin, start grilling with the non-skin side down first. Once that side is cooked, flip the meat, place the hot bricks on top, and continue cooking until the chicken reaches the proper internal temperature and the skin is crisped to your liking.
Safety note: Use ovenproof mitts or heat-resistant gloves when handling the bricks — they become extremely hot. Move them carefully to avoid burns.
When finished, you’ll have moist, flavorful chicken with crisp skin. Serve it alongside fresh salads, roasted vegetables, or your favorite dips for a satisfying meal.
- ½ Chicken (half or equivalent)
- ½ tsp Lemon Pepper
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce
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Add the seasonings or marinade to your meat.
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Preheat the bricks on the grill while the meat begins to cook; hot bricks speed and even out cooking.
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For crisp skin, grill starting with the non-skin side down. When ready, flip the chicken, place the hot bricks on top, and continue until cooked through and skin is crispy.
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Use ovenproof mitts when handling the bricks. They get extremely hot.
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Serve the finished chicken moist and crispy with salads, sides, or dips.
