How To Grill Chicken Thighs
This article was co-authored by JoAnna Minneci and by wikiHow staff writer, Amy Bobinger. JoAnna Minneci is a Professional Chef based in the Nashville, Tennessee area. With more than 18 years of experience, Chef JoAnna specializes in teaching others how to cook through private cooking lessons, team-building events, and wellness and nutrition classes. She has also appeared in numerous television shows on networks such as Bravo and Food Network. Chef JoAnna received Culinary Arts training from the Art Institute of California at Los Angeles. She is also certified in sanitation, nutrition, kitchen management, and cost control.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 29,915 times.
Grilling chicken thighs is an easy way to make a delicious meal. Season the chicken however you like it, then place the thighs on the grill, paying careful attention to the temperature and time so the chicken doesn’t get dry. Once the chicken thighs are cooked, you can add your favorite sauce and some garnishes to make this tasty dish even better.
How Long Does It Take To Grill A Whole Chicken
A whole 6-pound chicken will take 105 minutes to 150 minutes.
The efficiency of your BBQ, ambient temperature and starting temperature of the chicken contribute to the overall cooking time.
Whether you grill it upright in a beer can chicken recipe, or on its back, the preferred temperature range for your grill is 200300 °F . This is a long, slow cooking process, that will take approximately 1-1/2 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the bird and how well your grill maintains temperature.
However, if you spatchcock the chicken, you can reduce the time significantly!
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If you spatchcock a chicken, because the overall thickness of any part is severely reduced, and heat can get more readily to every part of the bird, you can reduce the cooking time for a whole bird down to 30 to 40 minutes!
Just remember thermometer tells you when the chicken is done, not the clock! Use a reliable thermometer and make sure every part is cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grilled Chcicken Legs Faq
How long to grill chicken legs?
The number one question we see about chicken legs is: how long should I grill chicken legs on the grill? While it will take around 15-20 minutes, the magic number is actually in the temperature of the chicken.You know your grilled chicken drumsticks are fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
What temperature should I grill chicken legs?
Set your grill to around 425ºF. If your grill goes up or down a few degrees, dont worry! Thats just the nature of grilling. We like to grill our chicken a little hotter than what wed bake it at so that it gets nice and charred. There really isnt anything better than grill marks!Just make sure that you watch your chicken legs and rotate them every 5 minutes so that they dont burn. You are cooking them on direct flames, after all.
Are chicken drumsticks healthy?
Long story short, yes chicken drumsticks are healthy, especially when you pair them with a homemade dry rub!
Should I use a gas grill or charcoal grill for chicken legs?
Both types of grill will work for chicken legs. A gas grill is easier for managing heat, but a charcoal grill adds great grilling flavor.
How do you grill chicken legs without drying them out?
We found that by grilling your chicken legs over direct heat and a medium/high temperature will get them nice and crispy on the outside and super moist on the inside.
Try it!
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Can You Overcook Chicken Thighs
The chicken breasts should be grilled for about 10 minutes total, with the breasts being flipped halfway through, to get lovely sear marks on both sides of the chicken breasts. 6. Using a cooking thermometer or an iGrill, check the internal temperature of the chicken. 165°F internal temperature should be reached before removing from the grill and allowing it to cool completely.
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How Long To Grill Chicken We Have The Exact Answer For You
How long to grill chicken? That is the question that any chef needs to answer to have a perfect chicken dish. Your chicken may become tough and dry if you grill it for too long. It is especially true with popular, low-fat cuts like breast meat.
AS 8888 will discuss the time it takes to grill specific pieces of chicken, the factors affecting how long to cook chicken on the grill, and many related things.
So keep reading to see more!
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How Long To Grill Bone
If youre planning to use a gas grill and want to prepare perfect grilled chicken thighs, the temperature on the grill should be about 450 degrees. You should use a gas grill with multiple zones for indirect grilling .
To achieve this, turn off one set of burners once the grill reaches the desired temperature and place the meat on the grill.
Gas grills are easy to use because you can manage the fire with a turn of a button. Set up for indirect heat. If you have a three burner, put all the meat in the middle, higher heart on the outside, with lower heat in the middle to avoid flare-ups.- Grill Top Experience YouTube Channel
You should start by having the chicken thighs grilled skin-side down to get perfectly crispy skin.
Grill for about 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t grill for longer than this because itll be overcooked.
The next step is to flip them over and keep the chicken thighs skin-side up. Grill the thighs for about 7 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer.
To sum up, the approximate grilling time for bone-in skin-on chicken thighs is 10 to 13 minutes.
Take Grilled Chicken Thighs To Another Level With A Hybrid Grill
If you love the flavor of grilled chicken but want to take it to another level, try using a hybrid grill. A hybrid grill combines charcoal and gas, which gives you the best of both worlds. The charcoal gives the chicken that fantastic smoky flavor, while the gas helps to keep the temperature consistent.
If youre looking for the best way to grill chicken thighs, try using a hybrid grill from American Made Grills. You can get that perfect grilled chicken every time with a hybrid grill from American Made Grills. Each hybrid grill is made with 100% American-made materials and a lifetime warranty, so you know its built to last.
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How To Grill Chicken Breast
Grilled chicken breast wins the popularity contest. Its high in protein, low in fat, and easy to grill.
The average sized boneless chicken breast is 3-8 ounces, which takes about 12 to 15 minutes on the grill. Place the meat on the grill with medium direct heat and then turn every 5 minutes to avoid burnt outsides and underdone insides.
Although skinless, boneless chicken breast is popular, it may be one of the hardest chicken cuts to get right. The lack of fat and bone doesnt give you much flexibility with cooking time. Try butterflying the meat prior to placing it on the grill. Butterflying technique is splitting open the meat horizontally and laying it out like butterfly wings.
Grilling bone-in, skin on chicken breast will take about 25 minutes. You can decrease how many times you turn the meat since the bone takes longer to absorb heat. When youre grilling bone-in chicken breast, cook with indirect heat for the first 12-15 minutes and then move the chicken to direct heat to finish searing off the skin.
Delicious Chicken Legs On The Grill
Grilling chicken legs is one of our go-to summer meals becuase theyre easy and delicious. Seriously, these scrumptious grilled chicken legs are full of so much flavor all thanks to our homemade chicken dry rub.
We love how inexpensive chicken legs are and how easy they are to flavor up. The bone makes them super moist and flavorful. Plus, a little bit of char from the grill makes these the ultimate Spring/Summer meal that the entire family will love.
Pair your grilled chicken drumsticks with our foil pack grilled potatoes, Caprese quinoa salad, and a homemade honey lavender lemonade for the ultimate summer meal.
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How Long To Grill Chicken Drumsticks
These chicken drumsticks take approximately 35-45 minutes to grill. They need 30-35 minutes over direct heat and an additional 5-10 minutes over indirect heat to set the BBQ sauce and reach 175 degrees F internal temperature.
My recommendation whenever youre grilling or smoking meat? Cook to temperature and not to time. Invest in a good, reliable meat thermometer and check the thermometer more than watching the clock. Its especially important to cook chicken to 165 degrees F as this is the safe internal temperature for cooked chicken. I always aim for 175 degrees F when grilling drumsticks because they have more connective tissue and the meat will fall off the bone if you cook them to this higher temperature.
How Long Does It Take To Grill Chicken Leg Quarters
Depending on the size of your quarters, they take anywhere from 40-55 minutes to thoroughly cook on the grill. Always use a meat thermometer to check for proper temperature to avoid any risk of food poisoning. You want to aim for 165-170 degrees F.
You may still see some pink meat inside, but as long as your grilled chicken temp is right, youve got no reason to worry.
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Why Does Chicken Turn Pink When Cooked
Pigment in the bone marrow can color the surrounding tissue and make the bones themselves look very dark. Hemoglobin in the muscles can likewise react with air during cooking to give the meat a pinkish color even after cooking. The chicken’s feed and whether it’s been frozen can also affect the final color.
How Do You Grill Chicken Without Burning It
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Why You Should Make These Grilled Bbq Chicken Legs
- they are easy to make and dont need any extra time to prepare since theres no marinating required.
- chicken legs are inexpensive so feeding your family or a crowd wont break your budget.
- the homemade BBQ sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients and produces an amped-up flavor thats so crazy delicious.
- they are juicy, smokey, sweet, and sticky. All you need is a stack of napkins!
How Long Does It Take To Grill Chicken Thighs And Drumsticks
Grill time for drumsticks and thighs takes at least 40 minutes. There are two schools of thought here.
One method uses direct heat the entire time. Using medium-high or 450 °F means youll need to turn them every 5 minutes to prevent burning.
The other method is to use indirect heat for 30 minutes and direct heat for the last 10 minutes or so to brown them off.
Regardless of the method you choose, if you want to add sauce, do it during the last 10 minutes, so the sugar doesnt burn.
Its the same as cooking whole leg quarters. Look for an internal temperature of at least 180 °F for best flavor and tenderness. At 190 °F the meat should start to fall off the bone.
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How Long Do You Cook Drumsticks On The Grill
When cooking chicken, its important not to watch the clock, but instead, to cook it to a safe internal temperature.
The safe internal temperature for chicken drumsticks is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use an instant-read thermometer or a digital probe thermometer to check the chickens doneness, but you should always check the temperature to prevent yourself from getting sick, or worse, getting someone else sick.
A 400 degrees Fahrenheit grill can cook drumsticks in about 25 minutes. But just because its possible to cook them in under a half-hour, it doesnt mean you need to rush the process.
Chicken legs are a muscular dark meat portion. The meat is firm, flavorful, and packed with collagen. The collagen slowly starts melting and turning into gelatin at 160 degrees Fahrenheit and will continue to melt and add flavor until it hits an internal temperature of about 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
Another great thing about grilling chicken legs or other dark chicken meat is that its more forgiving to cook than the breast or white meat. Dark meat is not as susceptible to drying out over the dry heat of the grill. This is a good thing because when you cook it to be a bit more well done, it actually concentrates and intensifies the flavor of the meat, which makes it irresistible to some.
Do Chicken Thighs Get More Tender The Longer You Cook Them
Unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs and drumsticks actually become more tender the longer they cook. Thats because of their makeup. Dark meat has an abundant amount of connective tissue, which dissolves into gelatin as the meat cooks, rendering it juicy and tender.
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How Long Does It Take To Grill Chicken Legs
Chicken is one of those special meats, that requires cooking to precise temperatures. If you leave your chicken cooking for too long, it becomes super dry and almost chalk-like and thats really unpleasant. On the contrary, if you do not leave your chicken cooking for long enough it will not reach the temperatures it needs to and it could be pretty dangerous for consumption.
So how can we know how long it takes to grill chicken legs? Take a look at the following grilling guide that will mention just how long you should cook your meat and the temperature it needs to reach in order for it to be safe for the whole family to tuck in to at the end of an evening.
The ultimate guide for cooking chicken legs!
The safest way to cook chicken legs is by using a meat thermometer probe. You should cook your chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Top tip: Make sure you pierce the flesh correctly when testing the temperature as the bones will read slightly differently to the flesh.
Top tip: Try not to pierce the skin too many times to read the temperature, as every time you do, the chicken loses some of the natural juices that keep chicken legs succulent.
If you keep your grill between 375 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and place your chicken legs on the direct heat section of the grill, it should cook within 30 to 35 minutes.
Related: How to make a chicken rub
How To Grill Chicken Thighs Without Burning Them
Here are some tips on how to cook chicken thighs without drying or burning them:
- Dont step away from the grilled chicken thighs keep an eye on them, especially if youre using a marinade with honey. Honey has sugar, which can burn, so move the grilled chicken thighs away from the hot side of the grill.
- Grill chicken on indirect rather than on direct heat. If you put the chicken over a direct flame, the chicken skin is likely to burn.
- Dont flip the chicken too early, or the outside can stick and burn on the grill.
- The grill temperature shouldnt go over 400 degrees. You want juicy chicken thighs, and a too high temperature will dry them out.
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Grilling Tips For The Best Chicken Thighs
Wondering why you still cant get it right? Maybe these techniques will help:
- Buy good quality chicken. A healthy and hormone-free chicken will obviously taste MUCH BETTER than one thats pumped with chemicals. Go for all-natural and free-range options for amazing flavorno matter the cooking method.
- ALWAYS season your chicken well. Sprinkle on enough salt and pepper before grilling the chicken, so that its natural flavors become much more pronounced. When marinating, leave the sauce on for a few hours for the best results!
- Monitor the grill temperature. Some grills temperature readings arent so accurate, so pay attention to the heat. If your chicken is browning too quickly, decrease the flame!
- Keep a CLOSE eye on your chicken. If your grill is prone to flare-ups, move the chicken around so that it doesnt burn. Make sure its cooking evenly throughout the whole process!
- Use a meat thermometer. This handy kitchen tool is SO HELPFUL because it takes guesswork out of the equation. Although you can slice the chicken to check for signs of pink, using a thermometer is more effective to determine doneness.
- Try basting LAST! Although you place marinated chicken directly on the grill, some sugary sauces burn FAST, giving your final dish an unpleasant taste. Try basting when the chickens almost cooked through to avoid this!
How To Grill Chicken Quarters
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