How Long To Grill Bone
When grilling bone-in chicken, direct grilling is the best method. This means that the chicken will be placed directly over the heat source.
Preheat your grill until the temperature reaches about 4000°F before placing the chicken on the grill. The chicken should cook for about 12-15 minutes or until it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F-175°F.
You can test for doneness by using a meat thermometer for the best accuracy.
Try my Grilled bone-in chicken breast recipe! It is moist and delicious with crispy skin!
The Best Part: Serving What Goes With Bbq Chicken:
When it comes to side dishes for grilled barbecue chicken, I like to keep things super classic. A few of my faves:
- Ready-Made Classic Potato Salad, Coleslaw, & Macaroni Salad are all available at ALDI my favorite summertime shortcut!
- Pasta salad Pure summertime food! Try this Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad or this Creamy Southwest Pasta Salad theyre both always a hit.
- Grilled veggies No summer plate is complete without some grilled veggies. Grill up some corn on the cob, peppers & onions, or sweet potatoes!
- Panzanella Another one of my summertime favorites. This recipe is perfect since youll already have the grill fired up for your BBQ chicken.
My ideal plate? A Grilled BBQ Chicken Bowl! Dice up your chicken & serve it over greens & quinoa, with grilled veggies, a little sharp cheddar, & some guac for good measure. Weeknight dinner perfection!
I cant wait for you to try this Grilled Barbecue Chicken recipe. Its so classic, totally easy, & Im certain that itll be a staple at your house once you master it this summer!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know!: Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag on . I LOVE hearing about & seeing your PWWB creations! Happy cooking!
- Total Time:12 hours
- Yield:serves 681x
- Category:Main Dishes, Chicken Recipes
- Method:Grilling & Smoking
for the grilled BBQ chicken dry rub:
How To Grill Chicken Breasts 101
I dont know about you guys, but we grill A LOT in the summer. And more often than not, its chicken. We throw in the occasional pork chop or burger, but we do chicken quite a bit. I know grilling can be intimidating for a lot of people, so I thought I would break down how you cook several different kinds of chicken this summer you can learn more about grilling chicken thighs here and grilling chicken legs here now lets talk about grilling chicken breasts!
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How Long To Grill Chicken Wings
Like thighs and breasts, the USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Using an instant-read thermometer is the best way to know when your chicken wings are done, but you can use this estimated cooking time as a guide:
- Whole chicken wings: 25 minutes total, flipping occasionally
Dry Brine With Kosher Salt

This is a trick to get your chicken skin to tighten up a bit and also get rid of some excess moisture on the surface so that you can get crispier skin.
Simply add a generous amount of salt to the entire part of the chicken quarter. Dont be afraid of the amount of salt, some will not be pulled into the meat and fall off on the grill.
Put the chicken into the fridge uncovered for at least 4 hours. You can go more or less with mixed results. Longer is typically better.
This is an important step if you want to get amazing grilled chicken leg quarters.
Tip: Doing a brine is also a great way to add flavor and crispiness to chicken wings and chicken breasts. And dont forget grilled chicken drumsticks!
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What To Do With Leftover Bbq Grilled Chicken Thighs
Got leftovers? We are the queens of repurposing our recipes! Here are a few ideas so you dont waste any food.
- Make Chicken Salad: shred your chicken thighs and discard the bones. Then make our BBQ Chicken Salad recipe.
- BBQ Chicken Pizza: everyone loves pizza! Buyg a store-bought crust and make a semi-homeamde BBQ Chicken Pizza.
- BBQ Pulled Chicken: shred your chicken and toss the shredded chicken with a little more bbq sauce and serve on a bun like our BBQ Pulled Chicken.
Grill The Chicken Quarters
Now that your chicken and grill are both ready go ahead and place your chicken quarters onto the grill. Place the skin side of the chicken down onto the grates first.
After about 7-10 minutes you can flip the grilled chicken legs over to grill the other side. If the skin is sticking to the grates then it isnt ready to be flipped so allow a few more minutes.
The skin will naturally release from the grates when it is crisp and cooked. Flip them over and allow for them to continue cooking.
Flare-ups
If your grill is prone to flare-ups then you want to make sure that you keep a close eye on the chicken.
Create an area with some indirect heat so that you dont burn the chicken.
Especially because we are cooking with the skin you will have more fat dripping which can cause flare-ups.
Check temperature
You always want to make sure that you cook your chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F. When cooking bone-in chicken leg quarters be mindful that the bone will retain heat.
You can take the chicken off the grill at around 160°F as it will continue to cook while it rests as well. Instant-read thermometers are great when grilling so you know just what temp you are at.
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What Is The Best Internal Temperature For Chicken
If you only remember one temperature, its 165 degrees F . This is the minimum safe internal temperature of chicken.
While you want to cook your legs and thighs a bit higher, you will know that theyre safe to eat.
Some recipes will tell you to cut the meat, and if the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked. Clear juices are not a reliable indicator of doneness. Depending on the age of the bird, juices might not run clear until its way overcooked.
How To Make Grilled Bbq Chicken Thighs:
Place the chicken thighs into a large bowl. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper over the thighs. Toss to coat the chicken in the spices. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or use immediately.
Preheat the grill to medium heat and oil the grates. Once the grill is hot, place the chicken thighs, skin side down. Do not touch it for 7 minutes, or you can move them at a 45-degree angle to form diamond grill marks halfway through.
Flip the thighs over and let cook for 3 minutes. Brush the chicken on the side facing up lightly with bbq sauce, cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Flip the chicken again, and brush lightly with more bbq sauce on this side. Cook for 2 minutes. Flip one last time, and brush again with bbq sauce, the skin side should be up at this point. Continue to cook until an internal temperature reaches 165°F. About 20 total minutes on the grill.
Serve immediately.
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Difference Between Indirect Or Direct Heat
Indirect heat is the type of heat that comes from an area that is not directly in contact with the food.
Direct heat, on the other hand, refers to the hot air and flame that comes directly in contact with the food.
Indirect heat is usually achieved by either grilling over a fire or cooking on a grill that has been pre-heated with indirect heat or not directly over the flame.
Direct heat is usually achieved by grilling over a fire or cooking on a grill that has been pre-heated with direct heat.
Do You Put Bbq Sauce On The Chicken Before Grilling
The short answer is no, you dont want to put your BBQ sauce on your chicken before you put it on the grill. The chicken needs to cook, and the BBQ sauce is usually high in sugars like brown sugar, molasses, or honey.
These sugars in the BBQ sauce contribute to making your grilled BBQ chicken thighs so tasty. The problem is that they will burn. So if you put the BBQ sauce on at the beginning, before your chicken has a chance to cook, you will have a problem. By the time your chicken is fully cooked, your barbecued chicken will be completely charred black and burnt.
Chicken is so versatile, thats what so great about it, besides the fact that it tastes great! From wings to breasts to whole rotisserie chicken, there are so many options when you are looking at serving chicken. You can grill it, roast it, BBQ it, or smoke chicken. Chicken tends to pick up the flavors of anything you add to it, making it one of the best proteins to work with barbecuing, grilling, or smoking!
Obviously, I love chicken with a rich BBQ sauce, but there are so many other ways to serve it. Who doesnt love chicken with a little Asian flair, with a nice teriyaki sauce, perhaps? When you mix up a marinade for your chicken, you can add so much flavor, and its so easy!
Cooking chicken is quick too. You can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less, depending upon how you are cooking it.
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Bbq Chicken On The Grill
BBQ Chicken that is slow cooked on your grilled and brushed with a BBQ Sauce. This Barbecued Chicken recipe is perfect for summer entertaining, backyard parties, and BBQs! Dig in with your hands because its finger licking good. The trick is to cook this BBQ Chicken recipe at a nice and ever temperature on the grill. If youve been wondering how to get the best chicken on the grill think low and slow so you get a delicious juicy chicken with a savory BBQ Sauce!
Grilling The Chicken Thighs

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How To Grill Chicken On A Gas Grill
Cooking boneless chicken breasts is seen as one of the easiest bbq skills to master. But slow down there, my grilling friend. There are a few tips that will help turn you from BBQ fan to BBQ pro. Heres how to grill chicken on a gas grill.
Grilled chicken recipes have long been a staple in our household. Its my favorite meat to cook with by some way, with it taking centre place in some of my best BBQ recipes. My fondest memories of summer involve cooking up beautiful chicken breasts on our terrace.
Dont get me wrong, I still love grilled burgers and steaks, but neither come close to chicken for me. Whether its simple chicken burgers or elaborate kebabs, theres a great grilled chicken recipe for any meat eater.
But grilling chicken is something that isnt as easy as it looks. They can dry out really quickly, which is enough to leave any BBQ party flat.
Chicken can easily be cooked on a gas grill at 425°F/220°C. Just grill for 5 minutes on each side, or until the meats internal temperature hits 165°F/75°C.
The secret to a perfectly grilled chicken doesnt just lie in its time on the grill, but also the preparation time before. With pre-seasoning and brining as crucial a step as any.
Heres my step-by-step guide to show you how to grill chicken on a gas grill.
How Long To Grill Chicken Leg Quarters
Since legs and thighs have the biggest bones, it takes longer to cook than the breasts or wings.
Youll want to grill whole chicken legs over indirect heat for 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Finish over direct heat for about 10 minutes, 5 minutes per side.
Because of the dark meat and bones, you want to wait until the internal temperature is 180 °F to 190 °F before taking them off the grill. 165 °F is safe, but at 180 °F the meat tastes much better, and it will be tender.
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How To Thin Thick Chicken Breasts
I usually use a meat hammer, but the bottom of a heavy pan will do nicely.
You need to protect yourself and the surrounding area from splatter. Most people will place the chicken in plastic wrap for this, but I like one-gallon freezer bags.
See Chicken To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for more food safety discussion about chicken.
How Long To Grill Chicken
Cooking chicken on a grill can take anywhere between 10 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the chicken and how hot your grill is.
There are a few factors to take into consideration when determining how long it will take to grill chicken. How big the chicken pieces are or if you are grilling a whole chicken?
Whether it has the bone in it or not, and the temperature at which you are grilling are also factors to consider. Also what kind of grill are you using, gas or charcoal?
Generally, smaller pieces will cook faster than larger pieces. Additionally, bone content will affect cooking time. The higher the temperature of the grill, the less time it will take for the chicken to cook.
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How To Brine Chicken Breasts
A brine is a “salt-water bath” where the salt will go into the meat dragging water with it. It will help keep the meat moist during cooking. And in dry-heat methods, like grilling, brining can make a major difference.
You can still get good results without a brine, but you will be consistently better with a brine. Also, if the breasts have been previously frozen, they do lose some moisture, and brine will help that.
I use a brine of 2 cups of water with a tablespoon of table salt. You can add other flavors like garlic or sugar to this, but this discussion is about the basics.
With this brine, you can get fairly good results in 20 minutes. You can brine for up to 1 hour. More than that leaves too much salty taste to me.
After brining, you should carefully rinse the salt off the surface. For food safety, try not to splatter and lean up with an anti-bacterial cleaner in the sink area. See
Never use seasoning with salt if you have brined.
Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters
This is my favorite grilled chicken leg quarters recipe. Youre going to get a crispy chicken quarter with a delicious bbq sauce on top.
What I love about chicken quarters is how they are priced so cheaply, you get dark meat with the chicken thigh and drum. I think by far they are one of the most underutilized chicken parts for the grill.
We will go over how to grill this bone-in chicken leg in the best way possible to get incredibly juicy chicken!
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S To Grill Chicken Thighs